Soulbinder
by cr8vgrl
Summary: When the silent Lunette showed up at Hogwarts mid-term and in her seventh year, no one dared to search through her troubled past. However, the unexplainable bond between jokester Fred Weasley and herself may lead to consequences that no one can ignore.
1. Lunette Gosmark: Letterless

**A/N: Here you guys go! This was the poll winner! I own nothing, but I hope you enjoy it just the same! ;)**

The moment Lunette Gosmark stepped through the doors of the dining hall at Hogwarts, everyone knew that she was _not_ normal. Everyone had filed in and had sat down at their respective tables, waiting for their dinner to arrive and eyeing Dolores Umbridge, the woman that had ruined their lives for the first month of the school year, when the hall doors swung open and Mr. Filch stepped inside.

At that moment, Fred and George Weasley had been poring over another drawing for some wacky spells and gadgets they thought they could build while Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter were discussing the latest Qudtitch match against Hufflepuff. None of them paid attention to the ratty groundskeeper until he had meandered past them, huffing as he climbed the steep steps towards the table where Dumbledore and the rest of the teachers sat.

"What do you think he's going to do, Fred?" George asked, having looked up from his scribbling just in time.

His twin looked up eagerly, jerking his head slightly to get his bright red hair out of his face, and was in the middle of answering his twin when he heard, _"What's taking him so long? Oh I hope Albus doesn't turn me away."_ The Weasley boy gave a start, whipping his head around to see where the voice had come from, but no one else even looked up.

"Fred?"

Could it have been in his mind? Fred realized that it must have been. But whose thoughts would he be able to pick up? Such a thing had never been reported before.

"Fred!"

The shout, right next to his ear, startled him out of his musings and he turned to glance at his twin. "Sorry," he mumbled, and then he glanced over at Dumbledore, whose eyes were growing larger by the minute. "Perhaps Filch's cat's gotten herself petrified again," he suggested, giving his twin a lopsided grin that he hoped would keep George from suspecting that there was a problem.

George, however, noticed that Fred was not as enthusiastic as he should have been over such a suggestion, but wisely let the matter lie. He turned away from his brother and glanced over at Harry, who was watching them intently, trying to figure out why George had been shouting and Fred hadn't been responding. Harry raised an eyebrow and George answered him with a flippant shrug. He had no idea what was wrong with Fred, but when they were alone in their room, he was going to find out.

Fred, in the meantime, had been straining to hear what Dumbledore might have been saying. If only he had had his extendable ear at the moment! It was another work in progress, but tonight would have been a brilliant time to test it out. Cursing his rotten luck on that point, Fred managed to catch a snippet of the conversation over the din of the busy room.

"Of course!" Dumbledore said, his tone eager, yet haggard at the same time.

"Her bag-" the noise of the hall blocked off part of what Filch was saying, but Fred noticed that Dumbledore nodded.

Without further ado, Filch turned and began his strange walk, half walking and half jumping, down the long hall, disappearing behind the solid doors once again. Fred looked around and noticed that most people in the hall hadn't even noticed Filch's presence, and if they had, they were brushing it off as grounds business. However, Fred had a feeling that whatever news Filch had brought with him, it was _much_ more interesting than Hogwarts grounds business.

Sure enough, only a few minutes had passed before Filch walked back in, casting a glance over his shoulder, as though he was waiting for someone…or something. Fred's attention snapped towards the caretaker and George, seeing his brother's change of attention, turned as well. They were soon mimicked by the whole hall, which had gone deathly silent upon Filch's second visit. Everyone seemed to be well aware that such behavior from the crotchety old man was not normal.

"Well come on!" he cried, his temper flaring and making his weathered face contort into a snarl.

He took a step forward and the whole hall now saw what, or rather _whom_, he was trying to coax into the hall. A girl stepped in after him, and immediately, Fred tensed. Her face was skeletally thin, like the rest of her body, and there were streaks of blood as well as dirt all over her face. A scar slashed its way across her forehead, still an angry red color crusted with blood that hinted that her injury was recent. A purple and blue bruise on her cheek stretched all the way across her high cheekbones, and she immediately threw her dirty, stringy hair across her face in an effort to hide her injuries as well as her embarrassment.

She was wearing what could only be termed as rags since everything was a dirty color that reminded Fred of splint pea soup. As the girl took a step forward, her knee almost buckled and her face blanched even paler. It was then that he saw the swelling of the joint and surmised that she must have dislocated it. She bit her lip to keep from making a noise and took another step, her eyes narrowing almost undetectably at the pain the action caused her.

She was studying the floor intently as she continued to walk up the long aisle towards the teacher's table, ignoring the stares, and quite a few whispers from the Hogwarts students. Fred found that he couldn't take his eyes off her as she clenched her fists in order not to show pain and mounted the stairs one by one to reach Dumbledore, who immediately came around the table to put his hands on her shoulders.

"Welcome, Lunette Gosmark," he said, staring right at her. She nodded back to him, tipping her head slightly. He stretched his hand out over the gathering of students and said loudly, "We all welcome you to Hogwarts."

He tilted his head and Professor McGonagall jumped slightly as the sorting hat appeared on her empty plate. "If you would be so kind, Minerva," Dumbledore said, motioning to the hat. "Lunette will be joining us at Hogwarts from now on." With dignity and quite a bit of curiosity, she grabbed the tip of the hat and strode forward to place it on Lunette's head. Fred, from his seat, couldn't help but notice that the new girl, Lunette, flinched slightly when the hat settled on her head.

Immediately, the tip of the hat stood straight at attention, and then cocked to the side. "Hm," the sorting hat murmured. "Very difficult." Murmurs were heard throughout the school. The only other time the sorting hat had had trouble discovering a person's destined house was when Harry Potter had come to school five years ago. "So many emotions. There is courage, yes, but there is sadness and fear." The tip of the sorting hat tilted to the other side. "There is caring and a lot of love, compassion and wit, and a good bit of cunningness." The girl's hands twisted in her sad attempt of a skirt, and Dumbledore placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "What to choose," the sorting hat mumbled. "What to choose. Not Slytherin. You don't have the character. Hm. Better make it…Gryffindor!"

No cheering was heard in the hall. In fact, no one moved. Lunette's eyes flittered around, and she jumped once more when the hat was taken from her head. She turned to Dumbledore and he smiled at her. "Congratulations, my dear! Gryffindor it is!" He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled once more. "However, I do believe that I'd like you to sit with me for tonight." The tension in Lunette's shoulders immediately disappeared and she nodded slowly as Dumbledore led her over to an empty chair he had transfigured behind her back.

When Dumbledore came back to sit next to Lunette, he clapped his hands and the feast for that night appeared, but Fred didn't even notice. All of his attention was fixed on this mystery girl who seemed to be the one whose thoughts he had heard. He watched as her eyes widened as food appeared on her plate and she looked at Dumbledore, as though asking permission. In return, Dumbledore nodded kindly and motioned for her to eat. Lunette bent her head towards her plate and did not look up again. Her entire focus was on fitting as much food into her mouth as she could without looking rude.

"Earth to Fred," someone said, waving their hand in front of Fred's face. Fred jumped and turned to find his twin looking at him curiously. "Sorry," he muttered, and absentmindedly reached for a chicken leg.

George raised his hands, surprised at his twin. "It doesn't make a difference to me whether you eat or not, but since you were telling me two hours ago that you were starving, I guessed you'd be the first one to pounce on dinner." He raised an eyebrow. "Something you want to share with us?" he asked, indicating The Golden Trio and himself.

Fred shook his head and grabbed a roll. "Nope," he said without looking up. George shrugged and everyone went back to eating, casting secret little glances Fred's way when they thought he wasn't looking.

When he was sure that his friends had exhausted their annoying checkup glances, Fred sneaked another look at the girl that had captured his curiosity so completely. She seemed so fragile and small, flinching each time Dumbledore's hand came in too close proximity to her. Fred's heart cried out to comfort her and he immediately thought, _"I wish I could help her!"_

Immediately, the girl stiffened, a piece of chicken hanging halfway out of her mouth. She raised her eyes ever so slowly, sliding first over her plate, then over the table, and then the floor, all the way until her eyes rested on Fred's gaze. Her eyes seemed to widen almost an imperceptible amount and then Fred's vision went completely black.

"Fred!" George cried as his twin slumped into him. His arms shot out, catching his brother just as Fred slipped to the floor. Almost as instantly as it had come, Fred's eyes shot open and he sat up so quickly that the world began to spin, a rapid, dizzying collage of anxious student's faces swimming before his eyes.

He turned to look at Lunette and found Dumbledore gently pounding on her back as she choked on the piece of chicken she had been eating. From the wide, uncertain look in her eyes, Fred guessed that she had blacked out as well. "I'm okay. Just a little dizzy from hunger," he told everyone, but no one believed him this time and George kept a firm hold on him for the rest of the meal, giving him no chance to glance at Lunette.

The questions that kept invading Fred's mind now were, _"Am I really okay? Can she hear my thoughts? What just happened?"_

He knew that his reaction had something to with Lunette's strange appearance at Hogwarts and his apparent link with her. There was something about her, something that was going on now that she was here, and he was determined to find out. After all, he was Fred Weasley. He could do it.

**A/N: I hope you liked this first chapter! Please review and tell me what you think! Have I captured your interest enough? LOL! :D**


	2. Fred Weasley: Problem

Lunette felt terrible. No, she felt worse than terrible. Dumbledore had walked with her to the Gryffindor dorms in order to keep anyone from talking to her, but not even his presence could shield her from the curious stares she received. A vast knowledge of Hogwarts, though she had never attended, had given her the ability to slip upstairs into the bathroom before anyone drew close enough to talk to her, but she still felt guilty for being so rude to everyone. Also, she couldn't take her eyes off the redheaded boy, the very one that was continuously staring at her.

Slowly, so as not to tangle her hair anymore than it already was, Lunette pulled her top over her head, throwing it into the trash. She knew that Dumbledore would have clothes waiting for her as soon as she was done. Her skirt soon followed suit and she peeled off her underclothes as well before stepping under the spray of the shower.

Almost immediately, Lunette tipped her head back and opened her mouth in a silent groan. Warm water had _never _felt this good! She simply stood there for a few minutes, allowing the liquid to run over her body, taking most of the grime and filth away with it. Then, she set about to work on her hair. It took a while, but soon, all of the knots and grease were out of the strands and she was able to soap down the rest of her body, completely removing the more stubborn dirt stains.

When she finally stepped out of the shower, Lunette found a soft pair of muggle jeans and a pale blue top neatly folded on top of the counter. Next to the clothes were undergarments, shoes, and socks. With great delight, Lunette slid into the clothes, feeling better than she had in quite a long time.

She examined herself in the mirror, and her wide smile fell. No amount of scrubbing could take away that long, jagged cut across her forehead. Her hand moved up to touch the scar, a habit she had developed recently, and the scene she had caused at dinner came flooding back into her memory. The redheaded boy. Yes, her new problem was going to be him.

She slipped out of the bathroom and quickly exited the common room. Only two girls were there, whispering, a brunette and a redhead that looked very much like the redheaded boy, but they didn't say anything to her. They just watched Lunette slip out the portrait and then returned to their whispering.

* * *

She made her way through Hogwarts, blending fluidly into the shadows whenever she could, as she made her way towards Dumbledore's office. When she stopped in front of the gargoyle, Lunette paused. She didn't know the password, and even if she did, she had no way to speak it. Tiredly, she placed a hand on the gargoyle's beak, jumping as the stones began to move. Apparently, a password was not needed tonight.

Not questioning her good fortune, Lunette slipped up the stairs and found herself soon standing in Dumbledore's study, breathing in the scent of parchment, candy, and leather deeply. A rustle of movement caught Lunette's attention and she spotted a phoenix preening on its perch. Smiling, Lunette turned once more and found the Headmaster watching her.

"His name is Fawkes," he told her. Lunette nodded and Dumbledore motioned for her to come sit down. She sat in the chair he offered her while he sat behind his desk, and graciously took a lemon drop he offered her, bowing her head slightly in thanks.

"Your appearance is quite a surprise, my dear," Dumbledore told her. "I had no idea you were still alive."

"_Not many people did,"_ Lunette thought.

Dumbledore nodded, pleased that his legilimency skills were becoming useful once again. "You'll have complete protection here at Hogwarts, and perhaps you'll be able to pick up your life again."

The hopeful tone in Dumbledore's voice was not lost on Lunette, but she shook her head. _"My life is gone,"_ her mind whispered.

"Then perhaps it is time to create a new life," Dumbledore suggested.

Lunette tipped her head slightly. _"Perhaps."_ Her eyes, however, showed her skepticism.

"Madam Pomfrey and I had a long talk about the curses you were put under," Dumbledore said, placing his folded hands on his desk. "She and I both agree that the spell was one of…his own making, for which we do not know the counter curse." Lunette's face fell and Dumbledore held up a hand. "However, we believe that we can at least give you back your ability to speak. Would you like that?"

Lunette nodded, her body tense and her hands gripping the arms of her chair. Could he really give her back what she had not had in seven years? _"Please!"_ he mind cried out.

Dumbledore closed his eyes, focusing hard. Lunette braced herself. If someone as powerful as Dumbledore had to concentrate, chances are, the result would hurt. "Done!" he said happily as he opened his eyes, shocking Lunette. There had been no pain, no feeling at all. Had it really worked? Dumbledore was watching her with concern written across his face. "Lunette," he said worriedly. "Say something."

"Something." Lunette's voice rang out clear, strong, and saucy.

Dumbledore actually laughed. "That's my Lu Lu!" he chortled. "Ever saucy!"

Lunette smiled, gazing fondly at the man that was her godfather and trying not to wince at his nickname. She had never really liked being called Lu Lu, but she had missed him so much. "Thank you," she said softly, earnestly.

Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, his head resting on his hands. "Is there something else that's bothering you, my dear?" he asked.

Lunette nodded, and then answered, "Yes." My, how strange it was to be able to answer out loud again! "I think I've found my Soulbinder."

Dumbledore sat back in his chair, his fingertips pressed together, with a smile on his face. "Ah yes," he said, a twinkle in his eyes. "Young Master Weasley. Fred Weasley, to be exact." He winked at her. "Best you remember his name. There are a few Weasleys around this school."

"But what do I _do_ about it?" Lunette persisted. Knowing his name did not help her problem.

Dumbledore stood, guiding Lunette towards the door and patting her shoulder gently. "Take it one day at a time," he advised her. "When you feel that it's necessary to tell Master Weasley, you will." Dumbledore handed her another lemon drop and smiled again at her. "You're exactly like your father, Lunette, and you'll find the proper answers in due time. I believe your robes will arrive tomorrow and you can start classes the day after that. Goodnight."

Lunette nodded. "Goodnight," she said, turning away from him and making her way down the staircase, muttering about how her godfather had always spoken in riddles, or had given advice that had seemed too hard to understand.

* * *

She passed no one in the hallway as she slipped upstairs. "Lemon drops," she said gleefully, still able to taste the sweet candy on her tongue. The portrait swung open and Lunette stepped inside, expecting everyone to be in bed. However, she stopped suddenly, nearly knocking herself over, and stared at the figure that was sitting in front of the fire, staring back at her.

The redhead. Fred Weasley. His blue eyes were watching her carefully, examining her with frank curiosity that made her cringe and unconsciously step back a half step. He wanted to know what had happened earlier at dinner. She could see it in his eyes. He was opening his mouth to speak when she sucked up every last ounce of the courage she supposedly had (according to the sorting hat) and said, "I'm Lunette Gosmark."

She could see that she had surprised him. He had not expected her to speak. However, a smile, so pure and so different from the cruel grimaces she was used to seeing, spread across his face and he closed his book. "I'm Fred," he said. "Fred Weasley."

She smiled at him, praying that he wouldn't think her rude after this, and nodded. "Pleasure to meet you. Goodnight." And with that, she ran up the stairs to her dorm before he could manage another word.

* * *

As she tiptoed into the room she shared with the other seventh year girls, Lunette couldn't help but sigh. Fred Weasley was going to make life very difficult, that was for sure. She slid between the sheets of her new bed, sighing happily. It had been years since she had slept in a proper bed, and the feeling was entirely too delicious to comprehend at the moment! Tired, Lunette had only one last thought before she drifted off to sleep.

"_Tomorrow should be very interesting."_

**A/N: Hoped you liked this! Please review! I love hearing from you! :D**


	3. Lunette Gosmark: Not so Peculiar

When Lunette woke up the next morning, the sun was already shining in through the window and everyone was gone. Somewhere in Hogwarts, a bell chimed, and although Lunette couldn't hear it, her keen senses could sense the vibrations. _One. Two._ Lunette waited, but no other chimes resounded through the halls. Lunette's eyes widened. Two in the afternoon!

"Oh gosh!" she exclaimed, launching herself out of bed and hurrying to make her bed. How she wished she had a wand at the moment! A small pang of grief washed over Lunette as she remembered the night her wand had been broken right in front of her face and thrown at her feet, the pieces useless as they bounced off the floor.

Soon, her bed was made and Lunette was able to straighten her wrinkled shirt and jeans since she had been forced to sleep in them while she awaited the full trunk of clothes Dumbledore was sure to be getting her today. She sat at the edge of her bed, breathing deeply and wondering what she should do with her day. _"Well, what's left of it,"_ Lunette thought wryly.

Deciding to go down to the common room, Lunette slipped on her shoes and quietly closed the door to the dorm behind her. She descended the stairs and entered the common room, only to find a couple of boys and girls sitting there. She blushed when she realized that Fred Weasley, and his twin, whoever he was, were two of the people there.

One girl turned towards her, and Lunette instinctively turned. "Are you feeling better?" the girl asked, her wavy brown hair falling over her face slightly. "The girls didn't want to go up to their dorm for fear of waking you up."

Lunette blushed deeply as she read the girl's lips. "Oh, I'm very sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't- I mean, you shouldn't have- well-"

An older girl gently smacked the girl on the shoulder. "Don't tell her that, Hermione! You're making her feel bad!" She turned and smiled at Lunette. "We figured that you needed it, and I must say, you're looking much better this afternoon."

Lunette didn't take offense because she knew that the girl was right. She _did_ look much better, perhaps even more normal looking. "Thank you," she said softly. Her eyes met Fred's for a moment and she looked away, embarrassed. "I guess I did need it." She looked down at her feet for a moment and said, "It's been a long time since I've slept in a bed."

She looked up and noticed that everyone was quiet, watching her carefully to see if she would elaborate. When she didn't, the girl named Hermione stood up, gave her one last smile, and said, "Well I'm off to the library to study for O.W.L.s. Harry and Ron, come on."

Another boy with red hair like Fred's and a boy with glasses and black hair stood up, groaning. The black haired boy pushed his hair away from his forehead for a moment, and Lunette gasped. All eyes turned to her, and she tried to keep from stepping away from the boy, a feat that she didn't accomplish well. "You're-you're Harry Potter," Lunette said, and she didn't have to hear her voice to know that it was flat and tinged with fear.

Harry Potter turned and studied the girl in front of him curiously. Most people, when they learned who he was, did not react to the news with such trepidation. "Yes," he said slowly. "I am. Why?"

Lunette was shaking, desperately trying to control the fear that had just seized hold of her spine and refused to let go. "Nothing," she said, avoiding everyone's gaze as she strode towards the portrait. "Excuse me. Enjoy your studying."

"She's rather odd, isn't she?" someone asked. "I heard-" and then there was a bunch of whispering as rumors grew and spread throughout the gathering.

"Perhaps not as odd as we think," Harry said, glancing over at Fred. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Fred nodded slowly. "Yes," he said. "Perhaps not."

* * *

Meanwhile, Lunette had slipped out of Hogwarts and was walking towards the lake, her hands clenched into fists to keep them from shaking violently. Harry Potter. Here, at Hogwarts. She never would have guessed. Images began to swirl through her mind, dark, frightening images that she tried to push away in an effort to keep from crying. However hard she pushed, though, they still came, bombarding her mind and causing tears to course down her cheeks, silent sobs tearing at her throat. How long she sat there, she didn't know, for the terrible visions continued to bombard every sense.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump up and whirl around so quickly that she didn't even realize that she had moved until she was already on her feet, her hands coiled into fists. Standing there were Harry and Fred, surprised looks on their faces. "Sorry," Harry muttered, his own hand still raised in midair.

"It's fine," Lunette told him, her face flushing slightly. Her eyes flickered up to look at Fred, only to find him watching her as well.

"I came out to tell you that it's almost dinner time. You might want to come inside."

"Oh," Lunette said stiffly. "Thank you." She stood up from the sand, her limbs stiff and sore from her time sitting with crossed legs and her head pounding with a headache from crying.

"Are you alright?" Fred asked her, but Lunette didn't see him speak, for he was standing behind her. She brushed the sand off her jeans and looked up to find Harry and Fred watching her.

"Sorry?" she asked, knowing that she must have missed something.

"Fred asked if you were alright," Harry said, nodding towards Fred.

"Sorry," Lunette said again. "I wasn't paying attention. Yes, I'm fine, thank you."

Fred nodded, dismissing her strange behavior and Harry spoke up once more. "How about you sit with us tonight?" he asked.

Lunette eyed the boy that had inadvertently caused her so much trouble, studying him and weighing her options. "Sure," she said slowly. "I just have to go back to my room first. Uncle Albus-I mean Professor Dumbledore probably has my trunk waiting for me."

"I can wait for you," Fred offered nonchalantly, his hands hidden in the pockets of his robes.

Lunette smiled brightly. "Thank you." They walked swiftly back to the school, Harry and Fred exchanging glances as they watched Lunette. There was something different about her, and they were going to find out exactly what it was.

When they reached the Gryffindor dorm, Lunette smiled at them and said, "I'll just be a moment."

Harry and Fred nodded and Lunette turned away from them to climb the stairs. "Lunette," Fred called suddenly, startling Harry. However, Lunette never turned around, disappearing around the top of the stairs.

"What do you think it means?" Harry asked Fred as the latter continued to stare at the place he had last seen Lunette.

"I think she's deaf," Fred finally said, his tone slow and even, not rushing to any outlandish conclusions. "That's why she seems rude and ignores people at times. She can't hear them. When she's right in front of someone, she watches their lips." He smiled slightly. "I don't think Lunette's as odd as people think, though."

"Should we tell the others and have them leave her alone?" Harry asked.

Fred shook his head. "I have a feeling that she doesn't want anyone to know. Give her time. She'll tell us when she's ready."

Lunette came down the stairs moments later, her auburn hair pulled into a half ponytail. Her Gryffindor robes hung around her, and Fred couldn't help but suck in a breath. Most people looked shapeless in the robes, but Lunette's robes fit her perfectly. "Ready?" she asked. Both boys nodded and all three of them walked to the Great Hall.

When they slid onto the bench with Lunette in between them, Harry and Fred felt people's stares. They had heard the rumors that had already spread around the school, and they knew that everyone was curious about their little friend. However, they didn't care.

Some people said that she had not brought a letter with her. Some said that she hadn't had a letter in the first place. Others said that her tiny height was due to a curse someone in her family had thrown at her. Still others thought that she might be a black magic witch because she seemed so odd. All the Slytherins were glaring darkly at her, but they did that to everyone, so Fred wasn't really worried. He was desperate to ask her what had happened last night, but he held his tongue. Perhaps he could ask her when he knew her a little better.

At a nod and a pointed look from Harry, Ron and Hermione smiled at Lunette from across the table. "Hello," they said together.

Everyone waited to see what Lunette would do. They were slightly disappointed when she only returned their 'hello,' with one of her own, smiling back pleasantly. Dinner conversation resumed as usual.

George leaned around his twin and grinned at Lunette, who turned, noticing Fred's shift in body movement. "I'm George Weasley," he said kindly. "I'm the better looking twin."

Lunette actually laughed and smiled back at him. "Is that so?" she asked humorously. "I'm so pleased you meet you, George Weasley, the better looking twin."

George sat back, not realizing that Lunette could no longer see him, and grinned at his brother. "I like her," he told Fred. Fred's eyes narrowed at his twin and George raised his hands in surrender. "Not like that! She's all yours, Forge." He peeked around Fred to see Lunette's reaction, but Hermione was talking to her and it was apparent that the girl had not heard him. Too bad.

"So are you going to ask her out?" he asked Fred with a smile.

"I hadn't planned on it," Fred told him, lying easily.

"Yeah right." Okay, maybe not too easily. "You can't take your eyes off her. Admit it! You want to ask her out."

"Fine!" Fred said lowly, shifting so that his mouth was away from Lunette and she would not be able to see him. "I've thought about it. But honestly, whatever brought her to Hogwarts has had a big effect on her life and I don't think I should complicate it right now by asking her to go on a date with me." George looked slightly taken back and Fred placed a hand on his brother's arm. "But you're right, Gred," he said, using his brother's nickname to assure George that he wasn't mad at him, "she won't get away for the whole year." What he didn't tell his brother was that he had a feeling that there was going to be more to a relationship with Lunette than he knew. Something in the way she looked at him made him realize that he knew absolutely nothing about her, but he was pretty sure he was going to find out sooner or later.

George smiled, looking around his brother's frame to see Lunette chatting away with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "I'm counting on that, Forge."

**A/N: Hope you liked it! If you read it, please review it! I love hearing from you! :D**


	4. Lunette Gosmark: Crucio'd

**A/N: I've done some research but am still slightly unfamiliar with the seventh year classes, so I went ahead and wrote what I know.** **Hope I don't offend anyone! :D **

Lunette's new wand, one of polished maple with a dragon's heartstring inside, began vibrating in her hand early the next morning, sending tremors up her arm until she awoke and muttered the countercharm. She sat up in bed, thankful to see that the other girls were still in bed, and slipped out from between the warm sheets to start her day. Her first day at Hogwarts as a student.

The trunk Dumbledore had given her was old fashioned, heavy, and very roomy. It was packed with any and all necessities she might possibly need for the rest of the year! Lunette opened the trunk and began to gather the clothes she would need for the day.

Slipping into the bathroom just as the first girl began to stir, Lunette dressed for the day and then leaned against the counter to stare at herself in the mirror. Her gaunt cheeks were slowly filling in, due to the good Hogwarts food and rest she had received, her hair was less dull and was beginning to have a shine to it again, and her green eyes looked less lifeless. However, she had a long way to go before she was back to the happy, carefree girl she had been, if she ever got back there at all.

As her eyes traveled over her face, Lunette couldn't help but let her attention be drawn to the gash over her forehead. Red and slightly puckered, the gash was still fresh and Lunette closed her eyes against the rush of memories she received. She silently wished that she knew a charm or spell for hair so that she could cut the split ends off.

"Oh well," she muttered to herself as she pulled her hair into another half ponytail, "it'll just have to wait." She made a mental note to go to the library later and try to find an appropriate spell. Pointedly ignoring her scar, Lunette turned and exited the bathroom, heading down to the common room only to find Fred and George sitting on the couch.

"Morning!" they chorused.

Lunette laughed and returned their greeting. Unlike everyone, including Harry, the twins seemed to have no problem ignoring the scar that graced her forehead, and Lunette was thankful that their glances never strayed from her eyes. As she glanced at Fred, Lunette had a hard time not blushing. Yes, he was definitely her Soulbinder. However, she would have to deal with that later.

"I've heard some interesting things about you, Lunette," George said, his face showing Lunette that his tone was teasing and casual.

"Oh really?" Lunette asked, teasing right back. "Like what?"

"Well, I've heard that no one should talk to you, or even get too close, to you because you're a dark magic witch and you can kill them by looking at them." He paused and then gave her a mock scared glance. "It's not true, right?"

Lunette laughed. "_That's _why no one talks to me?" she asked and then shook her head. "How in the world did my secret get out?" She grinned at the twins and they laughed.

"Well at least you're taking it well," George told her with another smile. "Give it time," he suggested. "They can't believe the rumors for too long. Unless someone winds up dead, of course."

Lunette snorted. "I'll be careful enough to hide my kills," she teased, thankful that he was trying so hard to accept her and to make her feel welcome. "Thank you," she said earnestly. Then, her face reverted to its teasing expression and she said slyly, "I've heard a pretty interesting rumor, though."

"Oh?" Fred asked, speaking for the first time. He had stood, and was now leaning against the fireplace, watching her carefully. "What might that be?"

"It was something along the lines of Hogwarts having a great breakfast feast."

Fred and George both smiled and looked at each other. "Well, let's-"

"-go see if-"

"-the rumors-"

"-are as true as they say," they said together, offering their crooked arms to Lunette. She took the offered arms gallantly, biting back the fear she felt at men's touch. Her fingers tingled at Fred's touch and he must have noticed or felt it as well because he glanced at her curiously but remained quiet.

George kept up a steady stream of talk on the way to the Great Hall, for which Lunette was grateful for. They entered rather early, so not many people were there, but the twins ignored all the students that turned to watch the trio and instead led Lunette over to a spot at the Gryffindor table.

"Hold on, Fred and George," Lunette requested, noticing that Dumbledore was beckoning to her from the teachers' table. She walked towards the front of the hall, trying to smile politely at the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs that stared at her. She noticed the other teachers watching her as well, including that horrid woman clothes in all pink. Really! Pink? Of all colors?

"Hello, Lu Lu," Dumbledore said, smiling broadly at his goddaughter.

Lunette bit back a wince and smiled back at him genuinely. "Morning, Uncle Albus," she said instead of correcting him.

"Did you like the trunk?" Dumbledore asked.

Lunette thought back to all the wonderfully soft clothes, an everyday necessity that she had not had for a very long time, and nodded, a smile once again decorating her face. "Yes," she said, striving not to grin like an idiot. "It's wonderful. Thank you so much."

Dumbledore nodded absently, watching as more and more students filed into the hall. "Your classes start soon, so you'd best get back to Master Weasley and Master Weasley." He winked and whispered, "Your secret's safe with me and Madam Pomfrey. None of the teachers are aware."

Lunette let out a sigh of thankfulness. She had worried about special treatment being administered due to her impediments and cringed at the idea of well meaning teachers constantly reminding her that she was not normal. That she had lost something precious to her. "Thank you," she said softly. She seemed to be saying that a lot lately, and she meant it every time.

Dumbledore nodded. "Enjoy your breakfast," he urged her.

Lunette nodded and turned to find the hall almost completely full of students…all looking at her. Blushing with embarrassment, Lunette turned and walked swiftly to the seat Fred and George were still saving for her. "Sorry," she apologized when her foot accidentally brushed Fred's leg when she tried to climb onto the bench. Their eyes met as they felt the tingling throughout their bodies, but neither said a word. Now was not the time.

* * *

Breakfast passed quickly and nobody but the twins spoke to Lunette since Harry, Ron, and Hermione were too far away to converse with. Finally, Fred turned to Lunette, waiting for a moment before she turned as well, and said, "We have Potions in a few minutes. Do you need to go back to the dorms to get your books?"

Lunette nodded, biting off a piece of toast. "Yes," she said with a nod, and took one last sip of pumpkin juice before sliding off the bench.

Fred and George offered their arms to her once again and she laughed. "I am one lucky girl," she told them, glancing from one to the other. "Two handsome young men bringing me to and from breakfast!" Her teasing helped to push away her fears of contact with them.

"But I'm the better looking one," the twins said simultaneously.

Though it was hard for her to understand them when they did that, Lunette still found it endearing. "Of course," she assured them, not addressing her comment to either twin exclusively, which made them smile all over again.

* * *

By the time she made it to Potions, Lunette was already shaking. School. For the first time in seven years, she would actually be going to school. She wasn't sure how she felt about that now, and Professor Snape was not helping matters when he snapped at her to find a seat. Lunette flushed, embarrassed because Snape spoke in such a clipped pattern that he rarely moved his lips enough for her to discern what he was saying. Guessing would have to get her through this class.

Professor Snape stared off the class by assigning partners, and Lunette found herself across the room from Fred and George, sharing a desk with a scowling Slytherin twice her size. Her fear of people caused her to naturally shrink away from him, and she spent the first part of class perched on the edge of her seat, wishing for the period to be over.

School was not getting off to a great start, and it was about to get worse.

* * *

Fred watched nervously as Lunette stiffly moved from her seat next to him and sat next to a cruel-looking Slytherin twice her size. He immediately missed the warmth of her body next to his and felt a rush of anger shoot through him as he noticed that Lunette sat perched on the edge of her seat.

He didn't have much time to dwell on her, however, because Snape called on him for the first question, which he answered after only a moment's hesitation (due, of course to his change in mental subject and **not** his inability to figure out the answer). Snape grudgingly awarded five points to Gryffindor and began his lecture.

Fred snuck glances at Lunette, who was watching Snape intently, her brows scrunched together in what he guessed was concentration and frustration. She seemed to be having a hard time understanding Snape, and Fred realized that not only was she rather far back in the room, but also that Snape barely moved his mouth when he was speaking. He made a mental note to offer to tutor her through the class.

"Mr. Weasley!" Snape called sharply, jolting Fred out of his thoughts. "I trust that you have a fabulous explanation for your inability to focus this morning." Snape folded his arms over his chest and glared at Fred.

"I didn't eat enough at breakfast," Fred told him, praying that the Potions master would only take off Gryffindor points and would not serve him detention.

"You eat far too much," Snape said with a scowl, apparently having noticed the twins' incomprehensible eating patterns.

Fred gave the Potions master and mock astonished look. "You noticed!" he exclaimed, causing the rest of the room, aside from the Slytherins, to laugh. Snape only glared further, but did not serve detention or take away points. Fred snuck a look back at Lunette, who smiled widely at him, knowing that he had said something witty, although she had not been able to see exactly what he had said.

Snape saw the exchange, but said nothing as he whirled away to write on the board. He started to name the ingredients as he wrote them, giving their uses as he went, never turning away from the board. Fred snuck another glance at Lunette and saw her frustrated look. She couldn't tell what Snape was saying. Great.

Ever so slowly, her eyes slid from Snape to the Slytherin next to her that was rapidly taking notes. She was going to use his notes to at least appear to be writing something down. He silently urged her not to still be looking when Snape turned around even as he mentally thanked the stars that the Slytherin had decided of all days to start taking notes today.

Almost on cue, Snape whirled around, his black robes billowing out behind him like a dark cloud, and his gaze rested on Lunette, who was still copying off the Slytherin's notes. "Miss Gosmark!" he called angrily. "Do you feel that you need to cheat off another student's notes to pass this class?"

Titters were heard through the classroom, and kids turned to look at Lunette, but she was still furiously looking and writing, unaware of the attention she was drawing. The Slytherin did nothing, which was expected.

"Miss Gosmark!" Snape yelled, clutching his wand in his rapidly paling hand. "Do you think that you're above my authority? Miss Gosmark!"

But still, Lunette didn't look up, furiously scratching away as she tried to make up for the notes she had missed. Fred gripped the edge of his desk, trying to think of what to do. Snape had a furious temper, and who knew what he might do if someone didn't speak up? "Pro-" he began.

"**Gosmark!!**" The roar seemed to shake the students in their seats, but Lunette was focusing so hard that she didn't even register the shift. Fred's voice was lost in the torrent.

Faster than he had thought possible, Fred saw Snape's arm come up and he pointed his wand at Lunette's small figure. "Crucio!"

Immediately, Lunette's body flew out of her seat and she thumped to the floor, a scream tearing at her throat as the curse sent magical fire roaring through her veins, immobilizing all her functions, and leaving her at Snape's mercy. Students gasped, and someone cried out, "That's an Unforgivable!"

"Are you, Miss Gosmark?" Snape yelled, striding quickly towards Lunette's writhing form. "Answer me!"

But Lunette could not see him, for her eyes were tightly shut and her hair was thrown across her face as she convulsed wildly, crying out only when she could no longer hold her breath. The silences in between were almost worse than the screams themselves, and even the Slytherins seemed uncomfortable.

"Crucio!" Snape bellowed again, and everyone in the room heard the sickening snap of Lunette's neck as it snapped back and her back arched from the pain. White hot stabs of pain thrust into her body, as though someone was sticking knives into every available inch of her skin. Fred glanced around the room in a panic, realizing that Snape was so mad that he would probably kill Lunette.

As Snape raised his wand to deliver the third cruciatus curse, Fred leapt to his feet. "Stop!" he cried out. "She can't hear you! She's deaf!"

The entire room went deathly silent.

**A/N: Well? Please review and tell me what you think. I realize the punishment for the cruciatus curse, and that will be dealt with later. Hope you liked it! :D**


	5. Fred Weasley: Soulbinder

Fred, without even looking at Snape, ran to Lunette's side and fell onto his knees next to her. Her hair was thrown over her pale face, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Fred smoothed back her hair and his fingers sought her neck in order to find a pulse. Ever so faintly, he found one. He turned back to Snape, who was still standing there, watching the boy in shock, and asked, "What do I do?"

Snape's eyes actually widened upon hearing jokester Fred Weasley's voice turn as hard as ice. The normally teasing crinkle around Fred's blue eyes was nowhere to be found and his jaw was tight with restrained anger. "Get her to Madam Pomfrey," was all Snape could say to the boy.

He was the teacher that students feared, the teacher whose looks could "kill," but right now, he was the teacher that was watching in awe as Fred Weasley gently gathered Lunette Gosmark up into his arms and stalked out of his Potions class. He was also the teacher who ran a hand through his greasy hair and said wearily, "Class dismissed."

* * *

Fred was cradling Lunette close to his body as he hurried down the hall, not trusting himself to levitate her to the Hospital Wing. He was so mad at Snape that he might accidentally channel some of that anger into the spell. So instead, he carried her, Quidditch training coming to his rescue and keeping his stamina up.

Without warning, Lunette moved in his arms, causing him to pause to readjust her. Her shirt slid down in the back due to the strange kind of juggling he was attempting, and when he reached up to put his hand once more on her back, he felt bare skin. As soon as his hand made contact with her skin, a surge of electricity went through his whole arm, causing him to gasp at the pain and lean against the wall in order to catch his breath. His head pounded as though someone was tearing the tissue apart and he hand to force himself to keep going, despite it. When Lunette was better, he would definitely be asking her for an explanation.

He finally reached the Hospital Wing, out of breath and about to pass out. Madam Pomfrey met him at the door, and upon seeing Lunette in his arms and the look on his face, she didn't even make a remark about quidditch. "Bring her right in," was all she said, hastening over and pulling the sheets down on one bed so that Fred could deposit Lunette into it.

"She was hit by two cruciatus curses," Fred said, answering the mediwitch's unspoken question.

Without even asking for further explanation, Madam Pomfrey began to work on Lunette and Fred dropped into a chair next to Lunette's bedside to tend to his throbbing arm. He rubbed the muscles absently, kneading them as more of something to do than of necessity. When Lunette thrashed against the potion Madam Pomfrey was trying to administer, Fred held Lunette down, his gaze turned away from her agonized face.

Finally, she slept. Madam Pomfrey breathed out a sigh of relief and turned to gather up her supplies, only to find Dumbledore coming in very quietly. "Hello, Headmaster," she said.

"Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said respectfully. He nodded towards a sleeping Lunette and Fred. "What happened here?"

"She was hit by two crucios," Madam Pomfrey told Dumbledore. "With the way she reacted to them, I'm going to guess that they've been used on her before."

Dumbledore stared at his sleeping goddaughter and nodded. "You're right," he said sadly. "It's been used on her too many times."

Lunette stirred slightly and Dumbledore made his way over to her bedside across from Fred, who jolted awake upon Lunette's movement. "Uncle Albus," Lunette said quietly, her small hand reaching for Dumbledore's. He took it without question and patted it gently. "Fred," Lunette whispered, extending her other hand for Fred to take, which he did. "He didn't mean it," Lunette said, her attention fixed on Dumbledore.

"Who?" the Headmaster asked.

"Professor...Snape. I don't...want him sent...to...Azcaban because...of what he...did," Lunette said tiredly, her eyelids drooping. "Promise me."

Dumbledore looked down at her admiringly and nodded. "If you're sure," was all he said. Lunette nodded and he stood, kissing her forehead softly. "Get some sleep," he told her. "Both of you. Good night, Master Weasley, and thank you."

"Good night, professor," Fred said quietly.

Once Dumbledore left, Lunette tried to rouse herself again, which was difficult due to the potions Madam Pomfrey had given her. When she tried to speak, only a rasping breath came out the first time. "Did you," she tried again.

"Don't speak right now," Fred told her soothingly, trying to get her to lean back against the pillows. She was tired, drugged on potions, and her insides were still readjusting. He knew that the cruciatus curse only stimulated the nerve endings into a frenzied state of pain, but Lunette's body had reacted differently to it, almost causing internal bleeding, according to Madam Pomfrey. "You need to rest," he told her carefully.

Lunette nodded for a moment and sank back into the pillows. "Fred?" she tried again.

"Yeah?"

Her hand reached for his again and he took it, noticing that the electrical current that was normally present was much less than it had been.

"Fred?" Lunette whispered, turning her head slightly to the side. Fred heard a slight snap and winced as her neck cracked.

"Yeah, I'm here," he assured her, his fingers stroking the back of her hand, trying to comfort her. If she was fighting the potions this hard, there must be something important that she wanted to say.

"You...saved me...didn't you?" Her question came out in a raspy, breathless voice, but Fred understood her clearly.

"Yeah," he said, noticing that he seemed to be saying that a lot.

"You knew...about...my...deafness?" Lunette asked, her eyelids drooping slightly as the potions coaxed her into sleep.

Fred nodded, determined not to answer with another "Yeah."

"And it doesn't...bother...you?" her voice was getting harder to understand, breathier and less sylabic, but Fred still managed to piece together her question.

He shook his head, leaning forward so that she would be able to see his lips clearly. "No," he said. "It doesn't bother me at all."

Lunette closed her eyes, nodding. Her grip on his hand loosened and for a moment, Fred thought that she was asleep. It was only when he started drifting off as well that he heard her whisper, "I _knew_ you were my Soulbinder."

The words startled him, and Fred sat up. "What?" he asked, but Lunette had finally succumbed to the potions' coaxing and slept deeply. Suddenly wide awake, Fred sat back in his chair, one hand still holding Lunette's. What was a Soulbinder? Why was he one? He frowned and tried to come up with a plan on how to tackle this particular problem. He doubted that Lunette would tell him when she was fully awake and aware of her senses, so he would have to do some research on his own. And he knew _exactly_ who to go to for help.

Hermione Granger.

**A/N: I hope you liked it! :D Please review!**


	6. Fred Weasley: Without an Answer

"Hermione?" Fred said the next day when he found her in the library. As expected, she was surrounded by books, furiously writing as fast as her quill would allow her.

Upon hearing her name called, Hermione paused and glanced up. "Hey, Fred," she said, pushing her hair out of her face. When she saw his nervous gaze, she asked curiously, "Is there something wrong?"

Fred shook his head. "Not wrong, exactly, but I need your help."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Is this about Lunette?" she asked curiously.

"How'd you know?" Fred asked, surprised.

Hermione shrugged and moved the books she had been reading out of her way. "Just a lucky guess," she told him. "So how is she?"

Fred shrugged. "She's alright. She ordered me to leave her for a few hours so that I could get some rest, but I'm too wound up to sleep, so I thought I'd come here."

"I heard about her being deaf," Hermione told him. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad she's safe now." She smiled and folded her hands in front of her. "So what can I do for you?"

I need you to find something for me," Fred told her. "Just before she fell asleep, Lunette mentioned something about knowing that I was her Soulbinder. Can you tell me what that is?"

He had expected a sophisticated response. He had expected Hermione's know-it-all facial expression to pop out at him. He had _not_ expected the blank look he saw now. "A what?" she asked.

"A Soulbinder," Fred repeated. "You don't know what that is?"

Hermione shook her head. "I've never heard of it before." She held up her finger and disappeared down an aisle. After a few moments, Fred sat down to wait for her. She soon returned with five large books of magical lore and plopped them down in front of him. "Unfortunately, the tales aren't listed in alphabetical order, so have a seat, make yourself comfy, and start reading."

* * *

Three hours later, Fred's eyes were hurting and he was getting anxious about Lunette. He'd gone through only half of one tome and had found no hint of what a Soulbinder might be. "Hermione?" he said slowly, fidgeting in his seat.

Hermione looked up from her own book that she was almost done with and nodded. "I know. Go on and tell her hi for me." She motioned to the other books. "I'll stay here and see what I can find. Leave your book open to the page you finished on."

Fred smiled and pushed the book closer to her. "Thank you," he said earnestly.

He pushed back his chair and left the library, winding his way to the hospital wing. "Hello, Madam Pomfrey," he said politely as he saw the mediwitch busily working away in the corner.

The nurse looked up and smiled at him. "Hello, Mr. Weasley." Her eyes narrowed. "No quidditch injuries, I hope."

Fred grinned despite himself. "Not today. I'm here for Lunette. How is she?"

The mediwitch noticed the concern written across Fred's face, but didn't say anything. "She's alright," she told him, "but she's very tired. I've tried giving her a few potions, but everything has rather limited results, almost as though her body has built up an immunity to them." She shrugged. "There's not much more that I can do."

"Will she be able to go back to her dorm soon?" Fred asked.

"I suppose," Madam Pomfrey told him. "I don't like the idea of releasing her so soon, but there's really nothing more I can do for her. She has to heal on her own." She consulted her chart and said, "If you'd like to help her back, she can leave right now."

Fred nodded. "Sure," he said.

Madam Pomfrey retrieved Lunette's clothes and then went to help the girl get dressed while Fred waited on the other side of the thick curtain. He heard Madam Pomfrey gently coaxing Lunette into taking her time, telling her that there was no rush. He smiled, realizing that Lunette was probably not even looking at her lips.

"She's ready," Madam Pomfrey said, breaking through Fred's thoughts. He looked up to find Lunette weaving back and forth slightly on her feet as she tried to keep her balance.

He was shocked for a moment as to how pale she looked. Her face was whiter than he remembered it being three hours ago, which he guessed was due to the struggle she had endured to get into her clothes. She seemed thinner, if that was possible, and her cheekbones had returned to their prominent position. "Hey," he said softly as he stepped forward to take her arm.

"Hi," she returned, smiling weakly at him as she conceded to lean against his side.

"You take care now," Madam Pomfrey told her. "I don't want you up and around a lot until tomorrow, alright?"

Lunette nodded. "Alright," she said softly.

"And Mr. Weasley?" Madam Pomfrey said, turning to Fred.

"Yes?"

The mediwitch smiled widely. "I give you permission to sit on her if that's what it takes."

Fred smiled back. "This could be fun," he said teasingly, and Lunette snorted.

"I feel so cared for," she told him sarcastically.

They thanked Madam Pomfrey again and left, Fred supporting Lunette's body as she leaned heavily against him, apologizing every few steps. "It's fine," he told her every time, patting her arm gently and guiding her. When they got to the stairs, Fred lifted Lunette into his arms, ignoring her protests, and began climbing the revolving staircases.

They reached the Gryffindor dorms and Fred spoke the password, carrying Lunette past the rest of the Gryffindors in the common room, who regarded her with curiosity, but not animosity. Once up to her room, Fred tucked her into bed while trying to ignore her little cringes. He knew that something had happened in her past to cause her fear, but there was nothing he could do about it now except for trying to be as noninvasive as possible.

"Sorry," he apologized when he moved his hand too close to her face and she flinched.

Lunette shook her head. "It's not your fault," she told him quietly as he tucked the covers under her chin. "I'm just too jumpy."

"You're fine," Fred assured her. Then, sucking up his courage, he leaned down and kissed her forehead ever so softly, barely pressing his lips to her skin. "I'll come and check on you later," he promised, mentally crowing as he noticed her pleased, yet dazed expression.

"Okay," she said softly.

As Fred headed towards the door, he turned and asked, "Oh, by the way, what did you mean last night when you mentioned a Soulbinder?"

Lunette visibly stiffened, but then smoothed her expression. "It must have been the medication," she told him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh," Fred said flatly. "My mistake." He smiled at her and then left, closing the door behind him. He knew in that moment that he had been right. Lunette was not going to tell him. He would have to find out on his own.

As if on cue, Hermione slipped into the common room just as Fred reached the bottom on the stairs. She looked tired and strained, and he immediately moved to greet her before anyone else had the chance. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned that it might have had something to do with reading too much. Was it possible to read too much?

Hermione nodded tiredly. "I'm fine," she said. "However, I've been over almost every mythical book in the library and I haven't found anything. There isn't a section, a snippet, or anything about a Soulbinder." She shrugged. "I'm really sorry, Fred, but I think you're going to have to ask Lunette herself."

In other words, he was right back to where he had begun.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this! PLEASE review!! It's so important to me! :D**


	7. Fred Weasley: Curious

It was stupid. It was beyond stupid. No one but Lunette had ever done it. He'd never get away with it. He might never get away, period.

"Will you stop shaking?" George asked Fred, who was squirming in his seat. "What's wrong, anyways?"

"Nothing," Fred muttered, his eyes still fixed on the man in front of the Great Hall. Albus Dumbledore sat there in his chair, munching away at his dinner, never realizing that anxiety he was causing.

"Really? Then why have you squeezed your grape to death?" George asked, grinning.

Fred looked down at his fingers, which were covered in grape juice. The remnants of the grape were soggy and stuck to his fingers and he hastily shook them off. "I wanted to try making my own wine," Fred told his twin, fighting the urge to blush.

"Okay," George said, still not believing his brother, or his lame excuse. However, he changed the subject to one that Fred seemed more inclined to talk about these days. "How's Lunette doing?"

Fred's face took on a calmer expression and he smiled at George. "She's fine. She told me that she wants to get back to classes tomorrow." He shook his head. "She's tough."

George grinned and shook his head at his brother. "You're gone on her," he accused playfully, trying not to laugh for joy. Seeing his brother as happy as he was around Lunette, despite the short time he had known her, was something George had never seen, and he was so happy for his brother.

Fred opened his mouth to protest, but then checked himself. Yes, he was, he realized. He was very rapidly falling in love with Lunette, and such a realization gave him the courage to attempt the task he had been unable to do before. "Perhaps," he said with a grin at his twin. He stood from his seat and walked determinedly down the row to the steps leading up to the teachers' table.

As he started up the steps, Fred felt every eye turned on him. The hall had become rather quiet, as everyone waited to see what would happen to the boy that dared to approach the off-limits teachers' table. Dumbledore was looking at him with a look of curiosity on his face, as well as a twinkle in his eyes.

Dolores Umbridge stood up quickly, ready and willing to take care of one of her least favorite students, but Fred spoke before she had a chance. "Professor Dumbledore," he said, and was surprised that his voice came out as clear and as strong as it did. _"Please don't expel me, or turn me into something. Not something nasty, please,"_ he mentally whispered, unaware that Dumbledore could hear his thoughts.

With a smile, Dumbledore beckoned for Fred to come closer. "Yes, Master Weasley?" he asked.

Fred breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the table and found that all his body parts were still intact. "I was only wondering if I could talk to you later, Professor. I need to ask you about Lunette."

Dumbledore sighed, seeming to understand where this line of questioning was heading. "I'm sorry, Master Weasley, but I'm afraid that I can't tell you anything about Lunette. She has to tell you on her own."

"But I've asked her," Fred said quietly, not wanting the whole hall to hear, "and she claims not to know what I'm talking about."

Dumbledore smiled again. "Oh, she knows very well what you mean. Give it time. She'll tell you when she's ready."

Fred nodded, disappointed that one of the greatest wizards of all time could not give him a simple answer. Why did girls always have to be so difficult? That question brought a smile to his face when Fred realized that Lunette was not just any girl. She was very special, and he was going to figure out her secrets. However, he would wait until she was ready to tell him. It was the least he could do for her.

"Thank you, professor," Fred said, and when Dumbldore nodded, Fred turned back around and headed down to the Gryffindor table.

George was the first one to regain his wits and he patted his brother on the back. "Wicked," he remarked admirably. "What'd you ask? What'd he say?"

Fred shrugged. "I just had a question about Lunette." In low tones, he told his brother what had been going on. When he finished, George's face showed keen interest.

"Wow," George breathed. "Sounds like there's even more to Lunette than we thought. Boy, she sure keeps us on our toes! Every time we think we've learned everything about her, she pulls something else!" The admiration was evident in his tone.

Fred nodded and turned back to his food. As soon as he finished, he was going to check on Lunette and take her some food. Surely she must be hungry by now. He reached for another roll and his gaze settled on Pansy Parkinson, who had just come back into the hall and was leaning over and whispering excitedly in Draco Malfoy's ear. Malfoy looked slightly bored, but he nodded and quickly stood, motioning to a few other Slytherins.

"What do you think they're up to?" George asked suspiciously.

Fred shook his head. "I don't know," he responded as he watched the Slytherins leave. "But whatever it is, it can't be good." He finished his roll quickly, not sticking around for a play-by-play discussion on the latest quidditch game against Hufflepuff, and excused himself. "I'd better get back and check on Lunette," he told those that asked him why he was leaving.

George nodded knowingly and several Gryffindors waved goodbye as Fred used his wand to collect a bit of food for Lunette and left the hall. He strode quickly through the corridors and was surprised when he turned the corner and found one corridor pitch black. Voices could be heard, and Fred realized they were rather close…and harsh.

"The other side."

"No, that way."

"Get closer!"

"Ready?"

"On three..."

"_Lumos Maxima_," Fred muttered, and suddenly, the corridor was ablaze with light from the tip of his wand. His jaw dropped and his heart stopped beating for a moment.

There stood Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins Fred had seen leave with him, surrounding a pale, cowering Lunette Gosmark.

**A/N: Hope you like it!! Please review! :D**


	8. Lunette Gosmark: In Danger

Lunette had spent the entire day in bed, and she was bored. Plus, she was hungry. All in all, a very unsatisfying combination. Feeling strong enough to walk, she pushed away the covers and stood, reasoning with herself that she could walk down to the Great Hall and surprise Fred.

Fred.

His name brought a smile to her lips and a flutter to her heart. Where had all this emotion come from so suddenly? In her heart, she knew that she would do anything to see a smile appear on Fred's handsome face. Surely this would do the trick. He would be happy to see her, and she would be saving him the trial of bringing her something to eat. He might even kiss her forehead again.

She found the uniform she wanted to wear and slipped it over her head, never glancing at the full length mirror that the girls' dormitory sported. She didn't want to see herself. Thinking of exactly what she didn't want to see made her yank her top over her head with even more force than necessary. She tossed her hair back and was reminded once again that she had to find a charm for hair trimming. Perhaps she could ask Hermione. The younger girl seemed to have quite the handle on spells and charms.

She tugged on her skirt, bringing it down to a decent length, and then slid on her shoes and socks. She was ready. She took careful steps to the door, her whole body still feeling as though it was made of mush, and turned the knob. The stairs proved to be difficult, but she took them slowly and managed not to fall.

She exited the portrait and began to make her way down the revolving staircases, praying that none of them would scorn her rather halted progress and decide to revolve at that moment. As she looked up from one step, she thought that she saw a Slytherin girl darting away, but perhaps it had only been a shadow. She _was_ rather jumpy these days.

"And for good reason," Lunette muttered out loud. She knew that she had to remember that. No matter what people thought of her, she had to stay true to her instincts. After all, they'd saved her life a few times.

She was just stepping into the corridor that would take her to the Great Hall when every light went out. Seven years of tension forced Lunette's body to tense, her feet braced apart. She glanced around wildly, trying to identify any movement, anything that could help her win over whatever enemy was trying to pick a fight with her.

A hand slammed into her back and she stumbled, cursing her deafness. Someone else pushed her back the way she had come, and her fingers momentarily brushed robes. So whoever these people were, they were students. She stumbled and flung her hand out, hoping to catch someone in the face. Her hand, instead, hit a wall, and although the contact was painful, it was exactly what she needed.

She threw herself against the wall, pressing her body into it. A slap slipped across her cheek and she winced, but nothing pushed her off balance now that the wall was behind her. Her eyes adjusted slightly to the darkness, but it was so dark that she could only make out the outline of someone coming at her. She pressed herself back even further into the wall, feeling the hard cement digging into her back. Whoever was coming for her was bigger than she was, and she cowered away from them.

She closed her eyes, feeling panic engulfing her. She would lose this time, just like she had lost last time. Perhaps this time, she wouldn't even make it out of the fight. Maybe they would just kill her. If they did, she hoped they would be quick about it.

_Blinding light flashed through the hallway._

Lunette closed her eyes instinctively, thinking that it might be a different _avada_ spell. Then, when nothing happened, she opened her eyes and blinked in the harsh light. Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Prince, stood in front of her, but his gaze, and the gaze of his cohorts, including that stupid little Slytherin girl- what was her name? Pansy-, was fixated on someone to Lunette's right. She looked, and her heart stopped.

Fred.

Draco's mouth moved, and then lights came back on in the hallway. He pointed his wand at Fred, and Fred's wand flew out of his hand before he could react. "No!" Lunette cried, sure that Draco was going to kill Fred. Her Fred.

Fred's gaze barely wavered as he heard Lunette's cry. He was focused on Draco, waiting to see what he would do. Fred, being older, was a better master of wordless, wandless magic, but he didn't know if he could win in a fight against Draco. Without a word, only a pointed look at Draco's wand, Fred managed to send Draco's wand flying, much the same way Draco had.

"Fred," Lunette began softly, but Fred cut her off.

"Lunette, get back upstairs," he ordered her, not taking his eyes off Draco's angered ones. "Draco and I have a little business to attend to."

Lunette pushed past Draco, the idea of protesting not even entering her mind. She ran past Fred with barely a glance in his direction, and tried to run up the stairs. The effects of Snape's curse had weakened her so much that she was forced to come to a halt after three steps. She heard a roar down below, and grimaced, forcing herself to continue climbing. A few stragglers from dinner gave her strange looks as she passed them, but Lunette ignored them.

Suddenly, a surge of pain slammed into her jaw so suddenly that it snapped Lunette's head back and she tumbled down the second staircase, falling heavily onto the landing. Her head banged against the marble and she groaned aloud, grateful that the students she had seen had disappeared onto another floor. What was wrong with her?

She glanced around, looking for a ward of some kind that might have hit her, but she didn't find any. Another surge of pain hit her in the kidney and she sagged back onto the floor, gasping. Pain blotted out her vision as her nose began to bleed, and she felt the swelling of her right eye a moment later.

"No!" she gasped, understanding dawning as she realized why she was in so much pain. It was because of Fred. Fred was in trouble. Her neck snapped back and a few tears sprang into her eyes as her vision momentarily dimmed. She had to get to the common room. Maybe someone could help her there.

She hauled herself up the first few steps before a crack resounded throughout the hall and she doubled over, pressing a hand to her now-broken rib. Her knees shook as she forced herself to stand. _Pain is just a message._ The mantra allowed her to climb a few more steps before her jaw ached again, snapping her head to the side so quickly that she heard a slight pop.

She could feel and taste the blood in her mouth as she shakily spoke the password and stumbled into the Gryffindor common room. She groaned and paused, her hand on the wall next to her, as an unseen force kneed her in the stomach, right between her ribs. Lunette forced herself not to gag as she looked around the room, searching for the one person that could help her.

She spotted her over in the corner, characteristically pouring over a book. Lunette ignored the rest of the Gryffindors as she took hesitant steps over to the girl, breathing hard. A few steps away, the girl looked up, her brown eyes widening in astonishment.

"Hermione," Lunette gasped as she felt something strike her in the back of her neck. "Help…me."

With that, everything went black and she tumbled to the floor, blood slowly dripping from the corner of her mouth.

**A/N: I'm back from being grounded! LOL! Anyways, hope you liked this! PLEASE review and tell me what you think!! :)**


	9. Lunette Gosmark: Injuries Transferred

Tendrils of conversation swirled into Lunette's consciousness later, the faint vibrations causing her to stir, and she found herself lying on a bed in the girls' dormitory with Hermione, Ginny, and George standing around her, looking concerned. For a moment, Lunette could not remember what had happened. Why was she in bed? Why was everyone staring at her? Was something wrong? Or worse, had something happened to Fred?

Fred.

With the thought of his name, everything came rushing back. The hallway, the pain, the blood. She gazed up and could barely make out Hermione saying, "I don't know what's wrong, George. She just collapsed, and there was so much blood…" Her lips trailed off, not completing the sentence, and she gazed back down at Lunette.

"Fred," Lunette managed to grind out, though her throat felt as though it was being ripped apart. Her voice startled everyone and they quickly turned toward her, trying to hear what she was saying. "Get…Fred."

Hermione's eyes met George's above Lunette's head and she nodded. "Go find him, wherever he is," she told his twin.

"Right," George said, his long legs quickly carrying him out of the room and down the stairs. He almost crashed out through the portrait in his haste, and he took the stairs three at a time. The stairway began to revolve, and George gritted his teeth, swinging himself over the railing and freefalling to the staircase beneath it. The bones in his legs groaned in loud protest as his feet landed safely on the lower staircase several feet below. "Ow," he muttered before he tore down those stairs as well.

* * *

He wasn't sure where his brother might be, and he didn't know what was going on between his brother and Lunette. All he knew was that he liked the girl in a sisterly way, and he liked the way his brother looked at the girl. He had been in the common room when she had come in, and his heart had clenched in fear. He had been the one to carry her bloody form up to her bed. Just from the feel of her body, he knew that there were broken bones somewhere, but those would have to wait. For now, it seemed very important for him to find Fred.

He jumped down the last flight of steps and then flew down the hall towards the Great Hall, only to turn the corner and find Fred in the middle of a group of Slytherins, his fists flying out whenever he got a chance. Adrenaline poured into George's veins as he leapt forward, knocking a Slytherin to the ground, and began throwing his own punches.

"Glad you could make it!" Fred called cheerily, not sounding at all like he needed help of reinforcements. For a moment, George paused. Shouldn't his brother be pummeled by now? They were both good fighters, but against a bunch of Slytherins?

"Yeah, well I got my invitation secondhand," George muttered, ducking as a Slytherin leapt forward to crack his jaw. A swift uppercut made the boy reel back for a moment, enough time for George to kick out at another person whaling on him.

George turned in time to see Fred strike out at someone, but his vision narrowed as Draco's foot collided with his brother's face. He leapt forward, ready to stand over his brother, to protect him until he could get up, but Fred's head barely moved. He simply planted his fist neatly in Draco's chin, knocking the younger boy backwards a few steps.

* * *

Ginny glanced over at Hermione, scared and confused. Hermione returned the look with one of her own. Their grip on Lunette tightened as the girl beneath them cried out and thrashed to the side, a gash appearing on her jaw, dripping more blood down her face. Her back arched and by the redness on Lunette's face, Hermione guessed that she was holding back a scream.

"What's happening?" Ginny cried, looking from Lunette to Hermione and back again.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know! When George gets back, we _have_ to get her to Madam Pomfrey." She gazed at Lunette critically and added, "We can't get her there on our own."

Lunette's body arched, and the girls put all of their strength towards keeping her still. "I hope George and Fred get here quickly," Ginny muttered.

Hermione had refused to put a body-binding spell on Lunette, fearful that whatever was happening to her would worsen or do harm to her if she was not allowed to move, but now, she was regretting that decision. She nodded, worried eyes meeting Ginny's. "Me too."

* * *

George was still in shock. Fred didn't seem to notice his brother standing there, staring at him. George sucked his breath in just as someone slammed into his back and the breath he had taken left him in a whoosh. He regained his balance and whirled, kicking out as he went. "Ow," he muttered to himself.

"Enough!" a voice roared at the end of the hall, the tone reverberating down the entire hallway and leaving George's ears ringing.

Immediately, everyone fighting stopped and lowered their fists. They turned toward the voice and found Dumbledore standing at the end of the hall, looking uncharacteristically stern. "One hundred points from Slytherin," he told them. "Get back to your dorms."

The Slytherins slunk off, and George could have sworn that he heard Draco mutter, "_Great_ idea, Pansy."

Dumbledore was still looking at Fred and George, and he only nodded towards the stairs. "Go," he told them, looking at George. "Tell him your news on the way."

How Dumbledore knew that he had news, George didn't know, but he nodded and pulled Fred along swiftly. "Thank you, Professor!" George called after him as he pushed Fred up the stairs as quickly as he could.

"What's going on?" Fred cried, slightly bemused by his brother's attempts at pushing him up the steps.

George shook his head, still pushing. "We're not really sure. Lunette collapsed in the common room, and then she said that we had to go get you. I was hop-"

Fred took off, tearing up the stairs, shouting the password to the painting, not caring that anyone else might hear. The painting frowned, but swung open, and Fred dashed into the common room and up the stairs, taking them three at a time. He skidded at the top, but regained his balance and pushed the door to the girls' dormitory open. Then, he froze.

Ginny and Hermione had ceased to pin Lunette down, but they stood over her warily, watching for anymore signs of pain. They looked up, and relief showed on their faces. "Thank goodness," they said at the same time.

Fred's eyes slid over them as he glanced at Lunette. Blood was running down her face from several cuts, mingled with dried tracks of blood. Her left eye was black and swollen, and by the pain on her face, something was broken. Her face was white, her hair splayed out on her pillow, and Fred felt his heart freeze.

He had thought it had only been adrenaline that had made the pain nonexistent. He had thought that when he slowed down, he would feel every punch and kick. But now, as he looked at Lunette, Fred realized exactly what had happened. His eyes traced the gash on her jaw, the one in the exact same place where Draco had kicked his own jaw. He watched the blood trickle from her mouth from the cut on her lip, in the exact same place where he had been punched a few times.

Every one of his injuries had transferred to her.

Lunette finally noticed the silence in the room and looked up at Fred, dreading the look in his eyes. Sure enough, she saw pain and determination there. "Help me get her to Madam Pomfrey," he said to George.

Then, he looked right at her and said, "After that, we need to talk."

**A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! All will hopefully be explained in the next one! :) Please review, and thanks for reading!**


	10. Lunette Gosmark: Her Story

Lunette clutched the bed sheets in her nervous hands, striving to stay calm. She knew that Fred was going to walk into the room at any moment and want to talk to her. She needed to at least have an idea of what she was going to say. _"Stop it!" _she growled at herself, when she felt her body begin to panic, her breath coming faster.

"Miss Gosmark?" Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey was right in front of her and Lunette could see her lips forming the words.

"Yes?" she asked tentatively.

"I've healed all I could," Madam Pomfrey told her. "The few aches and pains that are left will diminish over time. You're free to go, and Mr. Weasley is here to collect you."

Lunette shut her eyes momentarily as her fear became a reality. She had known that he wouldn't let this go. The look on his face when he had seen her lying in that bed had assured her of that. "Alright," she finally muttered, sitting up slowly and accepting the clothes that Madam Pomfrey handed her.

"If you need help," Lunette was told, "I'll be right outside."

Thanks," Lunette told the mediwitch, and then she was alone. She slipped out of bed and began dressing slowly, mentally rehearsing what she might say to Fred.

When she had finished sliding into her clothes, carefully avoiding all the sore spots, she pushed back the curtain and stepped out into the large Hospital Wing. It took her only a second to find Fred, his tall, lanky frame towering over Madam Pomfrey's smaller one as he spoke to her. She could tell by the absolutely gorgeous grin on his face that he was joking with her, and her observation was confirmed when the mediwitch laughed slightly.

Fred looked up in that moment and saw her, and his expression changed completely. Gone was the dashing vitality, and in its place was something softer, yet harder. His jaw tightened and a worried look glazed over his eyes. His eyebrows pulled together slightly and he held out a hand to Lunette. "You ready then?" he asked.

Every fiber in her body screamed "No!" but Lunette knew that she couldn't say anything other than, "Yes. Thank you Madam Pomfrey."

The mediwitch smiled warily, noticing that something was going on between the two Gryffindors, but she didn't mention it. "You're welcome. Just make sure that you get lots of rest now," she ordered, gently wagging a finger in front of Lunette's face.

"She will," Fred told Madam Pomfrey, his voice low and entirely too dangerous for Lunette's liking.

Lunette had no other choice than to let herself be led out of the room and down the hall. "I thought we could go sit out by the Black Lake," Fred said, breaking the silence as they walked. "No one will bother us there."

That was the exact reason that Lunette did _not_ want to go there. "Sure," she said meekly, picking and choosing her battles.

They barely spoke until they reached the lake, and even then, it was a long time before either of them said anything. The night surrounded them in a black shroud with just the moon peeking through to illuminate their faces. The water glistened in the light, and the slight breeze teased the witch and wizard. If she hadn't been brought here to confess every secret she had ever kept to herself, Lunette was sure that she would have enjoyed sitting on the cool sand next to the only person she had ever fallen in love with.

"You scared me, you know," Fred said softly, and had Lunette not been watching him out of the corner of her eye, she would have missed the words. They were spoken so softly that she couldn't feel the vibrations, and he had not moved a muscle in her direction to indicate that he was addressing her. "All that blood, those cuts and bruises." He shook his head. "Madam Pomfrey said that you broke three ribs."

"I'm sure it was only two," Lunette told him, trying to bring the smile back to his face. Fred without a smile was like the sun without light. Empty. Dark. Cold. She hadn't realized until just now how much she had scared him. "And a half."

He glanced sharply at her to tell her without words that her jokes were not helping, and she sighed heavily. If she had caused him this much pain, she would not make him wait. She would not make him ask. She would give him what he wanted, and she would not hold back.

"My father was a very good friend of Professor Dumbledore's," she began. "That's why I always call him Uncle Albus. He and Uncle Albus did quite a bit to keep Voldemort-" here she cringed, "from taking over. Right on my eleventh birthday, Voldemort himself came and stormed our house."

She gulped in a fresh lungful of air, and Fred could see the shine in her eyes as tears started to form due to the memories. "I dove under a table, but not fast enough. Voldemort hit me with a _stupefy_. He killed my parents before their wands were even in their hands, and only a couple of party guests escaped. Between him and his minion idiots, they took me someplace, I don't even know where it was."

Whatever Fred had been expecting, this was not it. He started to speak, to tell her that she didn't have to tell him anything that she didn't want to, but she wasn't looking at him.

"I'm short because Voldemort and his followers used all sorts of spells on me," Lunette whispered. "They were particularly fond of keeping me in large birdcages so that I couldn't run when they conducted a spell." She shook her head and pushed a lock of hair out of her face. "So many times, I wished that they'd just kill me and get it over with. But Voldemort wouldn't let them. He was having too much fun with me.

"One spell, when I turned twelve, shattered my eardrums irreparably," she went on. "Another took my voice later, but Uncle Albus fixed that for me." She sighed again and turned to Fred. "And the one curse that Voldemort performed on me right before I escaped was the one that did the most damage by far." She laughed bitterly. "Apparating away from them almost killed me."

"You don't-" Fred began, but Lunette shook her head.

"This is important," she assured him. "It was a curse Voldemort created himself. He used Black Magic to link my soul to the person in the wizarding world that would eventually be my soulmate. He bound our souls together and sealed the curse in a way that when I met my Soulbinder, and he touched me, every ounce of pain he felt would be transferred to me."

Fred remembered the day Snape had crucio'd her. He had touched her back and had felt a hot, burning sensation jolt up his arm. "Does it ever go away?" he asked softly, still digesting the fact that his soulmate had been found for him by someone else.

Lunette shrugged, looking tired. "I'm not sure," she told him honestly. She sat forward and pulled the back of her top down to show Fred just how serious she was. "I think so."

With a gasp, Fred saw the words emblazed between her shoulder blades in deathly black ink. They read in poetry form:

_**A hold of one**_

_**Must be shared by two**_

_**For the cursed one's life to begin anew**_

_**For three attempts at life will stave**_

_**The fourth will no longer be unscathed**_

Fred was still gazing at the markings, shocked, when Lunette turned and looked at him. "That's you, Fred," she told him softly. "You're the one I must protect with my life."

A wash of understanding ran over him. "You mean-" he began, but fear choked off his words. She understood. It was there in her eyes, staring back at him. She was going to die in his place.

He started to say something else, but she held up her hand. "Can we please not start all the funeral planning right now?" She gazed down at her lap and sighed again. "For seven years, I've wanted to die. I would've welcomed death with open arms. If I'd have had a wand, I would have avada'd myself so quickly that not even Voldemort could stop me. But now," her tone dropped from harsh and deflated to something more hopeful and soft. "Now, I just want to live as much of my life as I can." She looked up nervously at Fred. "Will you let me do that?"

Every fiber in his body told him not to. Every cell screamed out an emphatic "No!" but honestly, could he refuse her? If that was what she wanted to do with her life, he would let her. He nodded.

Lunette seemed pleased, and then she looked up, bashful again. "Are you mad?" she asked. "That it's me, I mean."

Was he upset that she was "the one?" No. In many ways, he was relieved, and very happy. Just over the couple days he had known her, he had found himself being drawn closer and closer to her, and now he knew why. She was meant for him. "No," he told her, reaching out very carefully, so as not to frighten her, and stroked her cheek.

She sighed again, but this sigh was different. This sigh was one of contentment and relief, not sadness or overweighed burden. "Me neither," she admitted.

Fred actually grinned, and he opened his mouth to make a comment, but then a thought struck him. "Was it your thoughts that I heard the first night you came?"

Lunette blushed and nodded. "Yes," she admitted. "That was part of the curse. When I had no voice, my deepest fears or desires could be heard by my Soulbinder if he was close. I was so worried, that my mind called out and you heard me." She grinned up at him. "Just like I heard you later."

"So you're the one the one that knocked me out that night!" he accused, pretending to glare at her.

She laughed. "That was the first contact we'd ever had," she told him. "Each new form of contact brings some form of…uncomfortable effect. I'm sorry for that one, though. However, it wasn't just you. I almost choked on my chicken."

Fred laughed and pulled her close, holding her against him and breathing deeply. Perhaps it was the pull of the curse, or the knowledge that this was the girl for him, but Fred now couldn't get close enough to Lunette. He felt her tense, and then lean against him, and her soft sigh was audible in the night. They sat that way for almost an hour before Lunette sat up regretfully and said, "We should probably get back. I don't want to get in trouble again."

Though he didn't want to, Fred grudgingly agreed and helped her to her feet. "I like having you around," he told her, hoping not to scare her off.

Instead of being scared, she laughed and told him, "Good, because I'll be around for a while and you won't be able to get rid of me."

As they walked back to Hogwarts, Fred slung his arm gently around Lunette's shoulder and whispered into the night, "Wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked this and I hope it answered your questions! :D Happy holidays, and please review!! Those reviews mean so much to me!!**


	11. Fred Weasley: Second Attempt

"This is _not_ a good idea."

"Of course it is. Don't be silly."

"I'm not being silly. I'm stating for a fact that this is not a good idea."

"You told me I could live my life the way I wanted. This is the way I want to live it."

Fred glared at Lunette, who was trying to ignore him while pulling on her quidditch pads. However, he would not let her deafness drown him out, and kept tapping her on her shoulder until she faced him again so that they could start another argument. He yanked her left boot away from her just as she went to reach for it, and she scowled at him. "Fred," she warned, her tone deadly serious.

"This isn't a good idea," Fred said again.

Lunette groaned. "Fred, I've been playing with you guys for a month. Nothing's happened, and nothing is going to happen. I'll be fine."

"I don't-"

"Would you two stop it!" Angelina called angrily, amplifying the wish of everyone in the room. "You act like an old married couple already!" She angrily tugged on her captain's uniform and scowled. "If you're going to argue, take it outside or something. You're making us lose focus."

Fred nodded stiffly and grabbed Lunette's arm, dragging her outside while she hopped on one foot. "Can I at least have my boot?" she asked sarcastically, holding onto him tightly to keep from falling over.

"No," Fred said stiffly. "If I give it to you, you can run away and play."

Lunette scowled and planted her hands on her hips, wobbling slightly. "I'm going to play, whether it be with one boot or two, so make up your mind which it'll be, Fred Weasley."

Fred groaned and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Why must you make this so difficult?" he asked quietly.

"Me?" Lunette responded. "I'm not the one who's yanking a fellow teammate out of the game."

Fred wheeled on her, startling her and pressing Lunette back into the wall behind her. She flinched momentarily, and then calmed herself, remembering that this was Fred, and that he would never hurt her. "Is that what you think you are?" he asked, and by the way his lips moved, Lunette could tell that he was speaking in a rather composed, low tone.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well I should hope that I'm your teammate. I've been rather handy a couple of times."

Fred's fists clenched, but Lunette knew that he did not intend to strike her. He was angry, but not with her. "Of course you're my teammate," he spat. "But is that really all you think you are to me?"

Those words ignited a hope within Lunette. Both she and Fred knew that it was inevitable that they would get together, but they had agreed not to push their relationship and had decided to wait until it unfolded by itself. "I don't know," she said. "What am I to you?"

Fred bit his lip, and Lunette swallowed hard. Would he say something meant to be a joke, or would he actually tell her the truth, whatever it may be. "You're…you're very much…" he cleared his throat, "loved." He smiled down at her and she noticed the teasing light that was back in his eye. "And, you're the best chaser we have."

Lunette wasn't sure what to say, but Fred saved her from that when he bent down slowly, his lips coming closer to hers….

"There you are."

Fred jerked back, causing Lunette to as well, and she turned to find George standing there, watching them with a grin on his face. "George," she breathed, feeling slightly embarrassed that Fred's brother had caught them about to kiss.

Fred, however, didn't seem embarrassed, just annoyed. "You have the worst timing, George," he muttered.

George shook his head. "It's not my timing," he informed his brother. "It's Angelina's. She wants to know if you two are in or out. It's almost time to start the game."

Fred started to shake his head, and Lunette threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly before whispering in his ear, "Please, Fred. Thanks to Umbridge, this is the last game we get to play, and well, it's against _Slytherin_!"

Fred couldn't help but chuckle, and Lunette felt the vibrations of his mirth flow through her body. When she pulled away and could see his face, he nodded slightly. "Alright. One last game."

She hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she said, and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. Both of the felt an uncomfortable stab of pain, and Lunette pulled away to close her eyes tightly for a moment. It was the first contact they had had besides holding hands or hugs, and she had not known what to expect. Unlike the rest of the time, when Fred's pain transferred to her, this uncomfortable experience was felt by both of them.

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

She nodded, feeling the pain starting to ease. "Great," she assured him and then nodded at George. "Let's go."

* * *

"And Harry's spotted the snitch!" Lee Jordan crowed. "He and Draco are racing for it…ooh! And Draco loses control for a moment, enough for Harry to make a snatch for it! Harry misses, and the game continues."

Lunette had never felt so free in her life as she did when she played quidditch. Once the Gryffindors had seen her talent on a broom, acquired from the days before her incarceration, they had immediately made room for her on the team. Now, she had caught the quaffle that Alicia Spinnet had thrown her way and was racing towards the Slytherin team's goal posts.

A Slytherin beater slammed his bat into a bludger, sending it straight for Lunette. The crowd gasped as she flipped her broom end over end, falling backward several feet in an effort to avoid the bludger. "And Lunette avoids the bludger with a quick maneuver!" Lee announced.

The Slytherin scowled, but Lunette shot forward on her broom, eager to get within throwing range. She began to flying side to side, hoping to cut down on attacks from the Slytherin chasers. A Slytherin crashed into her from her left side so hard that part of her breath left her and she let out an "Oomph!" However, she kept a tight hold on the quaffle and did not let go.

She came zooming up to Miles Bletchley, the Slytherin keeper, and he sneered at her as she tried to avoid the rough jostling of the two Slytherin chasers on either side of her, daring her to try and throw the quaffle. Instead of taking the shot like he expected, Lunete tipped her broom sharply upward, rising high above the goal post and then flying quickly towards the ground, making it hard for the chasers to keep up with her. When Miles looked completely bored, she snapped her wrist and shot the quaffle through the goal, cheering as it made it through.

"And Lunette's scored! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Lee cheered, sounded entirely too pleased as he pumped a fist to Lunette when she flew by.

With another scowl, Miles threw the quaffle back into play, and that's when everything went wrong.

* * *

Angelina, Alicia, and Lunette passed the quaffle in between them, trying to keep the other chasers on their toes. One of the chasers slammed his broom into Lunette's knee, and she gasped in pain, twisting her own broom handle sharply to fall away, clutching her knee. Ow," she muttered. "Ow, ow, ow." She touched her kneecap, feeling the swelling and seeing the blood that was seeping through her pants. "Great," she hissed, and she glared up at the Slytherin chaser, feeling a strange new kind of anger flowing through her. This was like when she had been Voldemort's captive, and she wasn't about to let this brat get the best of her.

She flew straight upward, feeling gravity pulling the blood droplets down her pants and soaking them with crimson warmth. The wind rushed past her ears as she headed straight for the chaser, countering his evasive moves and slamming into him so hard that he hit one of the viewing stands and dropped the quaffle he had stolen from her.

She snatched it before it fell too far and watched with only a small twinge of guilt as he landed heavily in the sand below. "Take that," she muttered, not caring how pathetically childish that sounded.

She heaved the quaffle at Angelina and then soared towards the Slytherin team's goal posts once more, never realizing what was going to happen next. She never saw Fred heading towards her in order to stave off the bludger coming her way, and she never saw the other team's beater throw his beater's bat. However, a moment later, pain exploded through her brain, freezing every movement that she was capable of making.

Her body dropped from her broom, and she didn't ever try to save herself. Someone screamed her name, but she couldn't identify the screamer. Her vision clouded over, and just before she hit the sand, everything went black.

**A/N: Another cliffhanger, I know, but perhaps it will motivate you to review!! Hint hint.... Please drop me a line, even if it's something short and sweet. Hope you enjoyed it, and Kat, the story isn't over! ;)**


	12. Lunette Gosmark: First Kiss

**A/N: Enjoy! :D**

* * *

Lunette felt as though every cell in her body had been individually _cruccio_'d. Her eyelids cracked open and warm sunlight filtered through the Hospital Wing window behind her. Wait, Hospital Wing? She sat up partially, and then gasped, feeling the pain shooting through her skull as though she was being hit with a bludger all over again. "Ugh," she moaned.

A hand on her shoulder caused her eyes to snap open again, and that was when she saw Fred sitting there, watching her with a told-you-so expression. However, he first said, "Don't try to move. I'm sure it hurt a lot."

George, sitting on the other side of the bed, patted Lunette's shoulder and took up the tale. "You fell a long ways. You're lucky you didn't break any bones. How do you feel?"

"Not so great," Lunette muttered, pained.

She turned towards Fred, and he shrugged. "I hate to say this," he told her, "but I was right. It was a terrible idea."

Lunette rolled her eyes and pointedly ignored him. She turned back to George, knowing that her lack of attention would annoy Fred, and asked, "So who won?"

George grinned. "We did." His congenial face darkened and he added, "And then we beat the pulp out of that chaser."

"You didn't!" Lunette gasped, and then winced as her head gave an indignant thrum.

"We most certainly did!" George told her calmly. "He threw his beater's bat at Fred, you feel off your broom, and I would say that he had a bit to pay for." He crossed his arms over his chest. "And don't you _dare_ give us a lecture about it, Lunette Gosmark, or I'll make sure that a Puking Pastille ends up in your dinner." The threat wasn't very great, since Lunette had only opened her mouth to congratulate them, but she only shrugged and grinned instead.

She smiled at Fred and said, "Well, that's two down, two to go." She was hoping to tease him, but the fact that she was very well halfway through her life made his face go pale.

"That's not funny," he told her, his voice low and upset.

Lunette groaned and tried to sit up again, mentally chastising her muscles for demanding so much of her pain attention. When George and Fred both jumped from their chairs to help her, she waved them away. "I'm fine," she assured them. "If I can walk, can I leave?"

Fred didn't answer. He was just looking carefully at her, examining her face with soft eyes. She saw George out of the corner of her eye and saw him say, "I'll go ask."

When he had left, Fred regarded Lunette very calmly. "You scared me," he told her. "I was so scared when you fell off your broom. No one could get to you in time, and then-then you didn't get up."

Lunette put her hand over Fred's and squeezed lightly. "It was bound to happen someday, and you know it. Fred, I'm thankful for your concern, but you can't keep beating yourself up over this. No matter what we do, we can't avoid these mishaps."

Fred squeezed her hand. "I know," he told her, and his face was very solemn. "But I can try."

* * *

Hours later, Fred was seated on the couch in the Gryffindor common room with Lunette's head in his lap. He was staring at the fire's flames, cradling Lunette's face with one hand and his chin with his other. The flames danced and popped, but did not disturb Lunette, who had fallen asleep three hours ago. Since then, Fred had been alone with his thoughts, and for once, he was thankful that George was upstairs and not with him. He needed time alone.

He loved Lunette. It was as simple as that. He loved her with all of his heart, and his soul. For a while, he had worried that it had been the power of the curse, but then he had reminded himself that Voldemort had not actually picked Lunette's Soulbinder, he had only found out who it was.

He looked down at Lunette's calm face, drinking in her facial features, including the hair that he had helped her with. He had created a charm that would cut her hair to her shoulders and let soft, auburn bangs drape over her forehead, obscuring her scar from view. She'd never told him what the scar was from, but he could only guess after the few comments she'd recently made about being Voldemort's torture pet.

The silence of the night surrounded Fred, and for the first time, he was glad that no one else but Lunette was around. He didn't need his friends, he didn't even need his brother at the moment. All he needed was to be close to Lunette. He ran a hand very softly through her hair, pleased that the charm had also extracted all of the tangles her hair seemed to attract. He wouldn't wake her up now.

Just as he went to make another pass through her hair, Lunette's eyebrows pulled together and she let out a whimper. Her head twisted to the side and one hand came up to slither under her bangs and press her fingers to her scar, the way Harry did so often. She groaned this time and twisted her head to the other side. "No!" The word came out as a whisper, but it was enough to unfreeze Fred from his shocked position.

He took her by her shoulders and shook her gently. "Lu, wake up," he said firmly, hoping that the nickname he had given her would convince her to open her eyes. "Come on, Lu."

Her body bucked and her hands clenched into tiny fists as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly against whatever vision was assaulting her. He gripped her shoulder a little harder as a tear slipped out of the corner of her eyelid. "Please, no!" she cried, louder this time.

"Lunette!" Fred called. "Open your eyes!"

Lunette's eyes shot open and she sat up so quickly that she almost slammed her face into Fred's. "Ah!" she cried, and Fred jerked his head back so that they would not bonk heads.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, helping her sit up. He noticed that she was trembling, and he hated to ask, but he did so anyways. "What was it about?"

Lunette squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, and then slowly breathed out. She was torn between wanting to share her feelings with Fred and not wanting to relive what she had just seen. "They were torturing me with the cruciatus curse," she whispered. I kept crying, and they wouldn't stop." A slight whimper tore from her throat, and she took a raggedy breath.

Fred didn't know what to say. The words themselves were not what captivated his attention and drew forth his desire to protect her. No, the words themselves could have come from any witch or wizard's imagination. However, it was Lunette's face that changed everything. It was the way her hands shook. It was the way her bangs never stopped moving as she trembled.

But most of all, it was the horror he saw in her eyes, the pure horror of one who has actually experienced their nightmares, that compelled him to pull her close, cradling her against his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I'm so sorry. I love you."

Lunette pulled away from him, searching his face, and he wondered if he had spoken too soon. However, her mouth stretched into a soft smile, and she leaned closer to him. "It's okay. I love you too."

Fred leaned closer, dipping his head down slowly, so as not to scare her, and then his lips were on hers, and every thought of pain and suffering was whisked away. He held her close and she slid her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, letting him know that she wanted to be held tighter. He tightened his arms around her and tilted his head to the side, deepening the kiss slightly, taking his time.

When he finally pulled away, Fred smiled down at Lunette, who was smiling back, looking calmer than she had in a long time. It struck him then, that he was her first kiss, and his smile grew wider as he felt the pureness of it.

_Their_ first kiss.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it!! Please review! Thanks again to all of you that reviewed last time. You've motivated me to keep writing! ;)**


	13. Lunette Gosmark: Worthless

**A/N: Enjoy!!**

* * *

Lunette walked down the halls of Hogwarts, feeling happy, content, and safe. Her hand was being firmly held in Fred's and she even swung it a little as they walked. It had been another month since the fated quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and Umbridge was bearing down hard on the students. However, not even Umbridge could sully this day. Tonight, Fred was taking her on a date.

The hand holding hers squeezed a little tighter, and Lunette looked up, realizing that Fred was trying to say something. "Sorry?" she asked, feeling slightly embarrassed.

He just shook his head at her embarrassment and repeated, "Are you excited about tonight?"

Lunette nodded happily. "I can't wait," she told him truthfully. "How am I supposed to make it through a whole day of classes when I know that I get you all to myself later?"

"Hey!" a voice called from behind them. Fred turned, and Lunette, copying his movement, turned and saw George hurrying towards them. He jogged up and slung an arm around Lunette's waist and then said, "You, Miss Gosmark, need to learn how to share. He's _my_ twin!"

Lunette laughed at his teasing and responded tartly, "Well, Mr. Weasley, I don't ask you to share Angelina when you decide to take her out, now do I?"

George grinned at the mention of his girlfriend, and shook his head. "Touché," he admitted. Then, he turned to Fred, and asked, "So where are you taking her tonight?"

Lunette turned to look at Fred, but he placed a hand over his mouth and answered his brother. She glared at him and stomped her foot. "That's not fair, Fred!" she cried, irritated that he had capitalized on her handicap.

Fred's eyes crinkled and she could see that he was laughing. "You'll thank me later tonight," he promised her after he had removed his hand from his mouth. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you right now."

Lunette rolled her eyes and didn't mention the surprise again as she, Fred, and George headed towards Snape's Potions Class. Once there, she slid into her seat and began to listen as Snape lectured on and on. Whenever he looked at her, Snape quickly looked away. Lunette realized that he was embarrassed by his loss of control that day of her first class, and infinitely grateful to her for keeping him out of Azkaban.

Lunette endured the hour-long class and then slipped out the door, heading towards Charms with Professor Flitwick. Fred and George caught up to her, and all three joined Lee Jordan on his way to class. "Hey there, Lunette," Lee said kindly, smiling at Lunette while Fred and George gave him pats on the back.

"Hi, Lee," Lunette responded, and then noticed the self-satisfied smirk on the boy's face. She frowned. "What have you done?" she asked him critically.

Lee stared at Lunette for a moment, trying to muster up an innocent face before he broke out into a huge grin. "Now why would you say something like that, Lu Lu?"

Lunette glared at him. It was fine when Fred called her Lu, but Lu Lu was a name that she just could not stand. "Because you have mischief written all over your face, Lee-Lee," she told him, laughing as he made a face.

Fred stepped in and kissed her cheek to get her attention. "Don't concern yourself over it," he told her as soon as she turned to look at him. "The less you know, the better."

Lunette crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine," she told him, not completely convinced.

Just as she spoke, a high-pitched scream tore through the hallways. Lunette could feel the vibrations of the noise, but was confused when the twins and Lee only doubled over laughing. She looked from one face to the other, not understanding why they were laughing, and then it dawned on her. Dolores Umbridge.

"We need to go," George said hurriedly. He looked from Fred to Lunette, and then to Lee, who was already hurrying down the hall.

Fred nodded. "Go," he told his brother. George took off down the hallway and disappeared around the corner just as Lee had done. Fred turned to Lunette, and by the many looks that he gave down the opposite hall, Lunette could tell that Umbridge was getting closer. "Are you okay?" he asked, and it was then that Lunette realized that he would have to disappear for the day to avoid Umbridge's wrath.

She nodded. "Go," she told him.

Just as he started to run, Lunette saw Umbridge wheel around the corner, almost crashing into a bunch of students on their way to classes. Without thinking, Lunette shoved Fred behind a suit of armor, which led into a secret passageway, and turned to face her headmistress. "Hello Professor," she said calmly.

Umbridge, her entire wardrobe and body dyed a horrid, neon color of pink, was shaking with rage as she stomped up to Lunette. "Where are they?" she asked in a deadly tone.

"Whom?" Lunette asked, raising an eyebrow in mock confusion.

Umbridge grabbed her arm roughly. "Those infernal Weasley boys and their little dreadlock friend!" she hissed, her nails digging into Lunette arm.

"I don't know," Lunette said truthfully. She hoped by now that the boys were somewhere far away in the castle.

"Liar!" Umbridge shrieked, her hand rising in the air. Lunette flinched, expecting to be dealt a heavy blow by the irate headmistress, but instead, Umbridge wiped a small bit of lip gloss out of the corner of Lunette's mouth, holding it up so that the girl in front of her could see the shimmer of the gloss that she had worn that morning when she had kissed Fred. With a sneer, Umbridge grabbed Lunette once more and dragged her towards the Head's office.

As she pulled Lunette up the stairs, Umbridge glared at Lunette. "You're worthless," she spat. "Just like your parents." Without giving Lunette the chance to speak, Umbridge pulled her into the room and flung her into a chair.

"Now," she said sweetly as she pulled out her unusually short wand, "we'll see just how much you _don't_ know."

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**A/N: Another cliff hanger, I know, and I really hadn't meant to leave it right there, but it seemed like a great place to stop! ;) Please review, and have an awesome holiday!!**


	14. Fred Weasley: Proposal

**A/N: Enjoy!!**

* * *

Fred paced the length of the common room, his fear rising to completely new levels as the clock above the fireplace struck ten. His hands clenched into fists, and he whirled around and started back the other way. _"Where is she?"_ he wondered nervously.

Lee and George weren't any better than he was. They stood next to the couch, barely leaning on it, tapping their fingers and toes nervously. "Should we go look for her?" Lee asked for the third time.

George shook his head. "She might come back while we're gone." He shrugged. "It's not the best option, but we really can't go out and look for her."

Fred felt terribly guilty. He felt as though he had abandoned Lunette when he had run away from Umbridge earlier. He had left her there by herself, knowing that he couldn't take her with him. And now, she had disappeared. He glanced back up at the clock and ran a hand through his hair. He needed to find her, soon. What if something had happened to her?

"Guys-" he began, but was interrupted when the portrait hole swung open.

Lunette stumbled inside, her auburn hair messy and tangled, her eyes wide with fright. Fred's head whipped in her direction, and then trailed down to where her right hand was holding her left wrist limply. Blood dripped down her fingers, and Lee and George gasped. "Lu!" they cried.

"I'm so sorry," Lunette whispered, and then her knees buckled.

Fred launched himself at her, catching her just before she hit the ground. He carefully carried her over to the couch and laid her down, pulling out his wand in order to heal whatever had happened to her. "What happened?" he asked her softly, dropping to his knees next to her.

Lunette twisted her face to the side, and Fred could see the sweat clinging to her forehead. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again. "I missed our date."

For a moment, Fred was relieved that she was lucid enough to remember such an inconsequential detail. Then, he felt concern mount all over again as he noticed the blood. "It's alright, Lu," he promised her. "It's fine. Tell me what happened."

Lunette groaned as he tried to pry her fingers away from her other hand, and she tightened her fingers to keep contact. "Umbridge," she told him, gritting her teeth against the pain.

Fred looked up and saw Lee's and George's eyes narrow. If Umbridge was responsible for this, she was going to pay very dearly. "I'm sorry, darling," Fred told her, and then yanked her fingers from her wrist. Lunette cried out and squeezed her eyes shut, but she didn't try to bring her hand up again.

"She made me write lines," she whispered hoarsely, anticipating her friends' reactions.

Much of the blood had dried now, and Fred could see that there was a deep furrow in Lunette's hand. Like Harry's experience earlier in the year with Umbridge's hated blood quill, Lunette's hand was scarred and etched. However, unlike Harry's, Lunette's scarring was deep, and angry red. She must have been writing the same line for hours. The loss of blood alone could kill her.

"We have to get you to Madam Pomfrey," Fred told Lunette, and then gently lifted her up into his arms, motioning for George and Lee to go first. "Let her know we're on our way," he ordered them, and they nodded obediently, taking off as soon as he had finished.

As quickly as he could, Fred ran with Lunette to the Hospital Wing, trying with all his might not to jar her too badly. "Hold on," he told her as he flew down the stairs three at a time.

* * *

Madam Pomfrey was waiting for them when Fred finally reached the Hospital Wing. Her pale face paled even more as she noticed Lunette's half-conscious state. "Bring her over here, Mr. Weasley," she instructed, turning down the sheets of an empty bed.

Fred laid Lunette down carefully, making sure not to drop her. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked Madam Pomfrey as George and Lee moved to stand next to him.

The mediwitch looked thoughtful as she inspected Lunette's hand. "How did this happen?" she asked, ignoring the question for the moment.

"Umbridge," all three boys said simultaneously, scowling.

Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment further. Her lips thinned as she pressed them together and grabbed her wand. Without speaking, she flicked her wand and cleared away the blood still oozing from the wound. It was only then that everyone saw what Umbridge had chosen.

There, inscribed so deeply in Lunette's hand that no spell would be able to cure it, were the words, _I am worthless_. No one spoke for a long moment, and then Fred felt himself come out of his shock and clench his hands into fists. That's it. That was the last straw. He looked at George, and George nodded, silently agreeing.

"Can you tell if infection's set in?" Fred asked, surprised that his voice was so calm and controlled at the moment.

Madam Pomfrey did a couple of tests on Lunette and then shook her head. "It's not infected, but I'll wrap it quickly so that an infection won't set in later."

She hurried off to find the proper bandages and ointments, and Fred and George both turned to Lee. He gazed up at them sadly and said, "You're leaving, aren't you?"

George nodded. "'Fraid so, mate," he said. "Umbridge's pushed our final button." He clapped Lee on the back and assured him, "But don't worry. We won't go without a fight, will we, Gred?"

Fred shook his head. "Not a chance, Forge." He looked down at Lunette's sleeping form and said, "I think a few fireworks during NEWTS would be appropriate, don't you?"

George grinned. "And perhaps we could test out that Portable Swamp while we're at it!"

Fred smirked, feeling better already as the scheming against Umbridge had begun. "Excellent idea," he said with a nod.

* * *

Further talk was hushed when Madam Pomfrey came back and wrapped Lunette's hand tightly, charming the bandage to stay on until the wound underneath had completely healed. "There," she said with satisfaction. She nodded towards Lunette. "She should wake up in a few minutes, and then she's free to go. Watch her today, since she lost a lot of blood."

"Thank you," Fred said earnestly to the mediwitch, and she gave him one of her rare smiles before leaving the little group alone.

Madam Pomfrey had been right, and it took only ten minutes for Lunette's eyes to flutter open. She immediately smiled upon seeing the three boys, and her hand reached out to hold Fred's gently. "Hi," she whispered.

He smiled, relieved, and whispered back, "Hi." He looked down at the bandage and asked, "How do you feel?"

Lunette answered with a shrug and then said, "I don't want to stay here, Fred."

He frowned and replied, "Alright, well, as soon as you feel able to walk, we can leave."

She shook her head. "No, I mean that I don't want to stay here at Hogwarts."

Fred shot George a glance, and George nodded once again. "We aren't staying either," Fred told her softly, so as not to be overheard. You're welcome to come with us. We'll open a shop in Diagon Alley and you can help us with it. Sound good?"

Lunette nodded. "Perfect," she whispered.

Fred bit his lip and took a deep breath. There's just one thing," he told her calmly, ignoring George, whose grin had spread now across his whole face and was discretely nudging Lee.

"What?"

Fred leaned over the bed so that he was very close to Lunette, making sure that she could see his lips perfectly. He took in another deep breath, and his question came out in a whoosh of air.

"Will you marry me?"

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this!! ;) Please review and tell me what you think.**


	15. Lunette Gosmark: Answer

**A/N: Enjoy!! ;)**

* * *

Lunette's heart pounded, and her eyes widened. He was asking her to marry him? Now? "Yes," she breathed out, without any hesitation aside from shock.

Lee and George cheered as Fred rocked forward and kissed her soundly, both of them able to ignore the lessening unpleasant pain from their contact. When he pulled away, Fred rested his forehead on Lunette's and whispered, "Thank you."

Lunette laughed. "Oh, it's my pleasure," she teased him with a wink.

* * *

Lunette could feel the vibrations of the fireworks pounding through her body as she waited for the twins to give their final salute to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had seen the Portable Swamp first hand, and she knew that the twins had something special planned for Umbridge, apparently meant to singe her hair almost permanently. She couldn't really object, after all, it would serve Umbridge right.

"You two are about to learn what happens to wrong-doers in my school!" Umbridge screeched. Lunette, leaning against the wall outside the hall looked on, eager to see what the twins would do.

"You know what? I don't think we are. George, I think we've outgrown full-time education... Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" Fred said, right on cue.

"Definitely." George's grin was wide as he mounted his broom again and turned to Lunette. "Let's be off, Lunette, my dear." His wink was full of happiness and laughter, and she immediately sent Umbridge a challenging look before mounting her own broom and taking off right next to Fred.

* * *

Lunette couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. Dust _much_ more than an inch thick coated the floors and available surfaces, broken pieces of furniture lay scattered around, and mold clung to different ledges around the room of 93 Diagon Alley. The twins didn't seem to be disappointed like she was, already talking about what would go where when such and such was finished. Lunette was thankful at that moment that she could simply not look at them to be able to tune them out. When they started finishing each other's sentences, she was constantly confused and filling in the blanks.

A hand touched her shoulder and she turned to find Fred standing there. "Sorry?" she asked, thinking that she had missed something.

Fred shook his head. "Didn't say anything," he told her. "I'm just really happy that you're here…with me."

"And me!" George cried teasingly when he had placed himself in front of Lunette.

"Of course!" Fred and Lunette cried at the same time, causing all three of them to laugh.

Fred rolled up his sleeves and pulled out his wand. "Let's get to work them, shall we?"

* * *

"Behold! Your new realm!" Fred cried cheerily as he lifted Lunette up onto the freshly painted counter.

She laughed and glanced around at the bright, cheery shop. It had taken three weeks of hard work, but they had done it. Everything was clean, stocked, and ready to go. They had been getting constant letters from students requesting different products to use on Umbridge, and Fred and George had been hurrying to get the pranks out in the owl mail.

"It's beautiful," she said grandly, sweeping her hand out over the shop. "Fit for any queen."

For barely a moment, Fred's eyes flashed with uncertainty. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Lunette cupped his face in her hands and said softly, "Yes. It's perfect. Any queen would be wonderfully blessed to have this."

"Oi!" George called. "I need some help over here!"

Fred shrugged and kissed her softly and then said, "Duty calls!" He bounded off to help his brother with a supply of pygmy puffs that were wiggling uncontrollably.

Lunette watched them work, feeling pride swell within her heart. They were such hard workers, and she loved them for that. She glanced around, making sure that everything but the pygmies was in order, since they would be opening the shop today. Gadgets whirled cheerfully, and Lunette could imagine the fun sounds they must be making. Her eyes roved over the first level of the shop, and her hands caressed the counter she was currently sitting on. They had done it.

Fred came back, George right behind him, and grinned at her. "The rogues have been rounded up, my daring."

Lunette laughed and hopped off the counter. "My two brave knights," she said, pressing a palm to each of their handsome faces. "Whatever would I do without you?"

"You would have been captured by the pygmy puffs and tickled to death!" George said dramatically, slipping an arm around her waist.

Fred snorted and followed suit. "Hardly," he said. He looked out over the store. "Are you ready?"

George nodded eagerly, his head bouncing up and down so fast that his hair flopped in front of his face. "Yup," he said excitedly.

Lunette nodded as well. "I'm ready."

And with that, Fred threw the front doors to WWW open, and the first day as shop owners began.

* * *

That night, Lunette fell into bed, exhausted, but happy. There had been so many people today since news had spread about the shop, and no one had really wanted to wait in line. She smiled as she thought about Fred and George's excited faces as they had rung up purchase after purchase. She knew that they were probably down the hall, still whispering about their first day of success even now.

She turned over in her bed and pressed her face into her pillow. Her life seemed to be moving so fast right now. Fred had proposed, and as soon as they had told his family, Molly Weasley had set the date. Lunette would marry her fiancé in a month. She had secretly wondered if she was ready for marriage so soon, but every time she looked at Fred, Lunette realized that he was the one, and there was no reason to wait.

As she started to drift off, Lunette had a rather disturbing thought. If such pain could come to her through a simple kiss, the completion of the soulbinding process (her wedding night) would be many times worse. She frowned, and tossed the other way, promising herself that she would talk to Fred about it. Tomorrow. After she had slept.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked this!! Please review! :D**


	16. Lunette Gosmark: Asking Him

**A/N: Sorry this has taken me so long! I've had a bit of a writer's block, and FF refuses to let me update, but I think I've found my way around that! Enjoy!**

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* * *

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"Fred," Lunette said the next day, nervously leaning against the counter she had just dusted.

Fred looked up from where he was stocking the shelves with George. "Yeah?" he asked.

Lunette looked at George warily for a moment before she said, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

George took the hint and jumped up from his position on the floor. "I'm going to go and grab another box," he said cheerfully. He strolled out of the room as Fred sauntered over and leaned against the counter.

"How can I help you?" he asked teasingly.

Lunette fiddled with her rag. "I-I," she stuttered, suddenly feeling ashamed that she wanted to talk about…that with Fred.

Fred's eyes narrowed, and then he seemed to understand because his grin became wide and wicked. "This doesn't have anything to do with you, me, and a nice big bed, does it?"

Lunette's deep blush told him that he was righter than she wished he was.

Fred laughed and then pulled her chin up so that her eyes met his. "Don't be scared of me," he whispered to her. "You can ask and tell me anything."

Lunette bit her lip. "I know," she told him, "it's just hard. I didn't think it would be this difficult." She closed her eyes, hoping to collect her thoughts, and said slowly, "I wanted to talk to you about…our we-wedding n-night." She coughed and blushed harder, while Fred just smirked and waited her for her to finish.

"Yes?" he prompted.

"It's not going to be, well, easy," Lunette told him lamely, searching for appropriate words in her vocabulary. "You've seen what kind of pain we go through with kisses." She scuffed the toe of her shoe along the floor nervously, unable to look her fiancé in the eye. "I just don't want you to be disappointed."

Fred surprised her by pulling her into a quick hug. He pulled away just slightly so that she could see his lips, and then said, "I've been thinking about that too," he told her. "Believe me, I know exactly what I'm getting into." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be as gentle as possible, and just think, after it's over, the process will be complete. We won't have to worry again!"

Lunette grinned up at him, feeling better already. He knew. He understood, and he didn't mind. "I just didn't want you to be expecting too much," she told him.

Fred kissed her this time, teasing her gently and only pulling away when a sharp jab of pain flew through his body. "All I expect is you," he told her honestly. "I love you, Lu, and nothing is going to change that."

Lunette smiled. "Promise?" she asked, pretending to pout.

"Promise."

* * *

"No, really, it's fine," Lunette insisted, practically falling over to keep the woman tugging on her arm from making any forward progress.

"Oh don't be silly! Any girl marrying one of my sons needs a dress for the occasion!" Molly Weasley gave a rather firm tug and Lunette's feet moved forward another three inches.

Lunette shot Fred a look, but he only shrugged apologetically and mouthed, _"Don't fight. It'll get worse."_

Lunette sighed and closed her eyes tightly. "Alright, why not? But just for today, right?"

Molly nodded enthusiastically and Ginny rolled her eyes next to her. _"Good luck with that,"_ she mouthed, winking at her sister-in-law-to-be.

The women apparated out of the shop and right into the dress shop in Diagon Alley. Molly began talking the moment they arrived, but Lunette was thankful that she could take in her surroundings and effectively cut out the excited chatter from the Weasley matriarch. Not that she didn't love everyone in the family, but Lunette found it hard to keep up constantly with the conversations. Ginny gently touched Lunette's wrist, causing the older girl to turn around and look at her. In return, Ginny nodded towards a particular display.

The dress was unlike anything Lunette had ever seen, but considering having spent so many years in a cage, her experience was limited. The dress was not the poofy, large white princess dress she had been expecting. Instead, it was more of an A-frame dress that would just barely brush the floor when she walked. From the shoulders, silver, shimmering material created a tiny little jacket that covered her shoulders and slipped all the way to the ground at the back of the dress, creating a silvery train all its own.

Lunette reached out gently and touched the material, breathing deeply as it seemed to meld into her hands. This was the dress for her. She turned to Ginny, who was watching with a wide smile of approval on her face, and smiled back. She knew, and Ginny knew. The real challenge would be getting Molly Weasley to agree.

* * *

"…And then she made me try on almost a hundred dresses before she let me chose the one I wanted all along!" Lunette finished with a deep sigh. She was stretched out on the couch, her head was in Fred's lap, and he was looking down at her with a wide smirk on his face.

"A hundred, huh?" he asked, and by the way his mouth twitched, Lunette could tell that he was laughing at her.

She made a face. "Perhaps not. More like ninety-eight."

Fred laughed and rolled his eyes, running his fingers absently through her hair. "So you like your choice, then?"

Lunette smiled softly and nodded. "Immensely. I can't wait for you to see it!"

"I'm looking forward to it," Fred told her honestly, pleased to see that she was so excited about getting married and getting dressed up for the occasion. His train of thought shifted. "There is something I wanted to ask you, though," he said.

Lunette tilted her head to the side, noticing that Fred's face had changed slightly. "What?" she asked.

"Well, Lee dropped by today," Fred told her. Lunette smiled, thinking about their friend. "And he's throwing a bachelor party for me," Fred continued.

"Oh fun," Lunette said dryly, already thinking of the mayhem the twins and their partner in crime would probably cause.

Fred grinned. "Absolutely. However, Lee's taking us to some little place he knows, and apparently it's rather far away from civilization of any kind. We can't even floo or apparate there." He paused. "So…I want you to come with us."

Lunette blinked and sat up. "Fred, are you sure?" she asked, frowning. "That's not normally done."

"Since when are we ever normal?" he asked curiously, raising an eyebrow to emphasize his point.

Lunette dipped her head in acquiescence. "True, but…why?"

Fred shrugged. "I'm not comfortable being away from you." He looked embarrassed. "I like keeping you in my sight as much as possible."

Lunette understood, and she didn't mind going, but she wondered what Lee would think of her intruding. "But what would Lee think?" she asked aloud.

Fred ran a hand gently over her hair. "I already talked to Lee. He agrees with me, and so does George. We want you to be safe, and we don't mind having you along."

Every angle seemed to have been covered and planned out for her. Lunette smiled and pulled her fiancé down for a kiss. "I have no argument for that," she whispered.

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**A/N: Hope you liked this! Sorry again that it's late!! :( Please review! :D**


	17. Fred Weasley: In Danger

**A/N: Sorry about the wait! :P Enjoy!!**

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"Are we there yet?"

Lee groaned. "If another one of you asks me that, I swear I'll hex something important off."

The twins grinned and Lunette blushed. "Lee!"

Lee shrugged. "They've been asking that almost every fifteen minutes!"

"It's not our fault-"

"-that we're tired-"

"-and hungry-"

"-and ready to take a nap," they finished together, identical grins on their faces.

Lunette laughed and shook her head. "Please don't hex anything off, Lee," she said as a disclaimer, "but are we getting close?"

Lee nodded. "It's just up ahead. Maybe ten more minutes." He glared at the twins. "Does that work for you?"

"It'll have to do," they said, grinning as he scowled at them.

They walked along in silence, grass and dirt crunching under their shoes as they traipsed through the woods where Lee had led them. Just as he had predicted, they reached a small little cottage just a few moments later. With a fireplace and three rooms, it was just big enough for everyone, but what caught Lunette's attention was the frozen lake next to the cabin. "What's that?" she asked Lee.

"Some kind of enchanted pond," he told her. "It's always like that, even in summer. We go skating on it all the time when my family comes here."

He led them inside, and showed the twins to the room they would share, and then took Lunette to her room. It was tiny, but very homey, and he smiled when she said, "I love it!"

"Good. Go ahead and unpack, then we'll go skating," Lee told her.

Not wanting to argue, she obeyed and quickly set about unpacking her suitcase. Clothes were quickly placed in their proper spots, and then she was ready, tugging on a sweater in case it was going to be cold on the ice. "I'm ready!" she called as she skipped out.

The twins were already pulling on skates, and Lee handed Lunette a pair closest to her size. She had to squeeze to get into them, but they were close enough. "Thanks," she said, standing and testing them out. They certainly pinched, but not too badly.

"Race you out there," George challenged.

"You're on!" Fred cried. They raced rather awkwardly towards the pond, reaching the layered ice at the same time, each crowing that they had won.

Lee laughed and shook his head, placing a hand on Lunette's shoulder. "You have my sympathy," he told her gravely. She in turn just laughed and shook her head. There was no changing the way the twins were. She wouldn't even bother to try. She liked them the way they were.

"Come on," she said instead, wobbling across the grass until she reached the pond. Then, with a push, she was off, skating towards the middle of the pond.

With so little time of her childhood to enjoy, she hadn't been skating very often, and she quickly latched on to Fred, who wrapped his arm around her and kept her steady for a while until those few lessons came back to her and she was able to skate on her own. "This is fun!" she exclaimed as she skated in and around the twins, who were currently trying to knock each other over.

"Good!" George cried, reaching out and twirling her around.

"George!" she laughed. "Put me down! Ah! Lee, make him stop!"

Lee, however, was no help since he was doubled over laughing. "Sorry," he wheezed.

Fred, meanwhile, was twirling on his skates, occasionally tripping over a rut in the ice and attempting to catch himself from falling. "Ah!" he cried when one attempt was unsuccessful. He landed hard on his shoulder and winced as the ice scraped across his forehead. After only a moment, the pain was gone, and he heard Lunette groan quietly at the far end of the pond.

"Are you alright?" Fred barely heard Lee ask, and he looked up in time to find Lunette favoring her shoulder slightly and running her fingers over her forehead.

"I'm fine," she assured him, glancing over at Fred, who was sitting up and starting to get his feet under him. "Are you okay?" she called.

Fred nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright." He pushed himself up on one knee and started to stand, but a loud crack stopped him in his tracks.

Though Lunette couldn't hear the grotesque snaps and cracks that the ice was making under her feet, she could feel the vibrations all the way up her legs. Her eyes snapped up to meet Fred's, and without another thought, she dove forward, digging her skates into the ice as she streaked towards the center in an effort to reach her fiancé. "Fred!" she cried as the ice around him sprouted cracks like a spider's web, twisting and shaping around his body.

Where the strength came from, she wasn't sure, but Lunette dove forward, pushing Fred out of the weakest point. She vaguely saw him scrambling towards her before her chin struck the ice where he had been and the whole section broke apart. With a scream, Lunette fell through, and the water, frozen for so many years, flooded over her, instantly chilling her.

No matter how much she fought against the pull of the water, it seemed to drag her further and further down towards the bottom of the pond. Where _was_ the bottom of the pond? It seemed to go on forever and ever. Lunette struggled, her hands flying out to try and propel herself towards the surface, but the spot where she had fallen had already been covered up by floating ice.

Her lungs felt heavy, and though it seemed redundant, Lunette could feel hot tears welling up in her eyes. Her hand found the scar across her forehead and with the few seconds of oxygen she had left, she cursed Voldemort for cursing her in the first place.

Her last thought, though, as her lungs gave out, was of Fred. In fact, she could almost see him right in front of her. She had a good imagination, it seemed.

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**A/N: I hope you liked this!! Please review! I'll try to update it a little more often, since I think I've gotten past my writer's block now! :)**


	18. Fred Weasley: Married

**A/N: It's been shamefully long, and for that, I apologize. With school and everything else, I kind of forgot about this fic, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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There were hazy shapes dancing around in front of her eyes. She couldn't make them out, and they hurt each time they flashed across her pupils. And she was _hot_. It felt as though she was in an oven. Sweat poured over her forehead and she tossed and turned in an effort to keep the harsh heat away from her.

Merlin, she was cold.

"We could put her in a body bind," Lee suggested nervously, tugging at his collar as he began to sweat.

George shook his head and added another log to the roaring fire. "It might hurt her," he argued.

Fred, who was bending over Lunette, pressed his hand to her forehead even as she twisted against him. "Her fever's spiking again," he murmured, shivering slightly.

Lee glared. "And yours will too if you don't get into some clean clothes. Go. It'll take you about two minutes. George and I can handle her for that long."

"But-"

"Go!" The sharp tone was enough to force Fred out of the room, and both Lee and George could hear his pounding footsteps as he raced about to find a change of clothes since a drying spell would not work.

George glanced at his brother's fiancé, biting his lip. "We need to do something. We have to get her to St. Mungo's."

Lee shook his head. "You heard what I told you earlier. No floo, no apparition."

"Wonderful," George muttered, adjusting the blanket that Lunette had kicked off.

Fred rushed back into the room, his eyes immediately zeroing in on Lunette. "Body heat," he muttered before slipping into bed with her and pulling her close. As his arms wound around her back near the words against her spine, he heard her moan in pain. This was the third time. Fear shot through him as he realized that she had protected him three times. The fourth was quickly approaching and he might lose her forever. He shuddered, and it had nothing to do with cold.

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For hours, he laid there with Lunette, able to do nothing but keep her relatively still when she thrashed wildly around. Her fever spiked three more times during the night before it settled back down to slightly above normal. George quickly cast another healing charm, his fifth of the night, and her temperature dropped even more. Her shivering lessened in intensity and she stopped thrashing, beginning to whimper in her sleep instead.

With a sigh of relief, Fred slipped out of bed and collapsed into a nearby chair, his back aching from being so stiff for so long. George handed him a plate of food, charmed to stay warm, and he dug in, practically inhaling the contents. "Thanks," he managed to say between bites.

Lee and George took seats as well and leaned back slightly, already weary. Lee was the first one to smile and mutter, "Some bachelor's party."

Fred and George both snorted and the trio leaned back and closed their eyes for just…a few…moments….

"Fred?" The murmur was soft, barely heard by anyone who did not have sharp hearing. Lunette twisted in bed, struggling to sit up when Fred didn't make himself known. However, for some reason, she couldn't move. It felt like a heavy weight was pressed against her chest, holding her down, no matter how much she struggled against it. Her head pounded and throbbed in time with her quick heartbeat.

"Fred," she murmured again, struggling against the vise on her chest.

A shadow moved towards her in her peripheral vision and soon Fred, Lee, and George were kneeling around her, all speaking at once so that she shut her eyes, hoping to block out all of the confusing movements. She couldn't read all of their lips at once. A hand touched her arm and she opened her eyes to find Fred waiting to say something. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Her eyes roved around the room before she nodded. "Fred," she murmured.

He moved a little closer to her. "Yes?"

Her next words shocked him.

"I want to go home. I want to get married. Now."

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"Are you really sure you want to do this now?" Molly Weasley asked worriedly as she watched Fred subtly catch Lunette as she swayed and almost fell for the fifth time.

Lunette nodded wearily. "Yes, please."

"But…but the guests! The invitations! You're not even wearing your wedding gown!"

Lunette closed her eyes for a moment, blocking out the other protests that were sure to come. "Mrs. Weasley," she said slowly, her voice wavering slightly, "I love your son, and he loves me, but if we don't get married very soon, we might not ever marry."

Molly Weasley stared at her for a minute, and Lunette gamely stared back. Their silent struggle for their own ways was broken when Ginny raced into the room, slightly breathless, and announced, "I sent an owl and Dumbledore's on his way."

Lunette nodded. "Thanks, Ginny."

Molly threw up her hands. "If this is what you want," she sighed. "I'll go owl your father."

As soon as his mother left the room, Fred guided Lunette to a chair. "Sit down," he begged her, and she complied, sinking down heavily.

"What happened?" Ginny asked anxiously. She listened with astonishment as Fred explained what had happened, detailing the miles they had had to walk just to be able to apparate home.

Fred had just finished his narrative when there was a loud pop and Dumbledore appeared in their living room. "Ah! Mr. Weasley!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "How good to see you!" He moved past Fred and bent down to cradle Lunette's face in his hands. "Hello, my Lulu."

Lunette felt so terrible that she couldn't even work up her usual indignation over the pet name. "Hi," she answered weakly, and then added, "you have to marry us. Now."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I will, my dear, just as soon as all of the Weasleys get here." He examined her worriedly for a moment and then said, "In the meantime, why don't I see what I can do about your cold, hmm?"

So Dumbledore pulled out his wand and began trying different healing spells until the Weasleys all filed into the room. He had managed to take away Lunette's tiredness, which none of the younger men's spells had been able to, so she was thankful, but the ache in her back would not abate. When he noticed that everyone invited to the quick ceremony was present, he began.

Lunette had hoped to remember everything about the ceremony, but she found that all she could remember when it was over was the look on Fred's face as he smiled down at her, still rather concerned, and answered, "I do." She barely remembered responding in kind, and then Fred was sliding the wedding band on her finger and he was kissing her sweetly…and it was over.

Lunette was beginning to feel better, so everyone headed outside and clapped as Dumbledore transfigured a couple of lawn chairs into a soft wood dance floor. Music began to play, and various people pulled their partners out onto the floor to dance. Lunette was hoping that Fred would dance with her, but she noticed that Dumbledore had pulled him aside and was speaking quietly, no doubt informing her new husband exactly what he was getting into tonight.

George, having heard all about Lunette's curse, opted to spend the night at the Burrow in order to give the young couple their privacy, and so without much ado, Fred and Lunette flooed back to the shop. As soon as Lunette saw the familiar, comfortable surroundings, her knees gave out. She knew exactly what was going to happen tonight, and it was scaring her. Fred caught her and held her up, cradling her against his chest.

"Please don't worry," he whispered into her hair, knowing that she couldn't hear him. "I've got you."

Lunette gulped.

He turned her to face him. "Shall we get started?"

Those very words made her tremble, but Lunette nodded, wrapping her arms around Fred's neck. "I trust you."

He paused for a moment and then wrapped his arms around her waist, swaying slowly. When Lunette only stared up at him, Fred explained, "I still owe you a dance, Mrs. Weasley."

Lunette smiled and allowed herself to be led slowly around the floor, ignoring the lingering strains of the sickness she felt and pushing it to the back of her mind. And as Fred bent down and captured her lips with his, effectively beginning their wedding night together, she forgot to think at all.

She was too busy waiting for the pain to start.

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it!! Sorry again! :O**


	19. Lunette Weasley: Morning After

**A/N: Okay guys, I'm so sorry for the long wait, but I never recovered my stolen drive, so I had to rewrite it completely. Thanks for sticking with me, and enjoy!**

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When Fred awoke the next morning, he could barely move. The smallest twitch had his muscles screaming in protest, so he stopped shifting. Instead, he gazed down at the small bundle in his arms and sighed. It had been the strangest, most harmful wedding night Fred could have ever imagined. Every touch had set their bodies on fire, but it had not been a passionate flame, but rather an internal fire, one that tore at them, burning and branding their senses with more power and destruction than a Cruciatus curse could have inflicted. And when they had finally joined together, the scream that Lunette had cried out with had chilled him to his bones. Her eyes had gone glassy and her body had trembled violently as whimper after whimper was wrenched from her throat.

Yet now, Lunette's eyes were closed, the lashes fluttering gently as she slept. Her muscles were no longer tensed and her breathing was no longer labored. She looked every bit the sated bride that she should, curled up on Fred's shoulder, but gazing down at her form stirred fear and not arousal in his body. How long would he have her? How long could he keep her safe?

He had a feeling that the answer was: not long enough.

She stirred then, her eyes opening and blinking blearily a few times before she settled on his face and smiled a small, wry smile. "I've had an epiphany."

Fred grinned down, humor returning to his being for the first time in almost a day. "And what's that?" he asked.

"'Good' and 'morning' are a contradiction of terms."

Fred chuckled as much as his sore body would allow. "Trust you to be optimistic at a time like this," he teased.

She sighed and grinned as well. "You too."

Fred's eyes flickered around the room as he noticed the sunlight lighting up their room. "Should we get up?" he asked, hoping that she might say no so that they could simply stay in bed forever.

"I'm not sure I can." Lunette's eyes twinkled for a moment, but then the mirth was replaced by something close to trepidation. "But we need to try. I-I have someplace I need to pop over to later."

Fred raised his eyebrows. "And just where do you think you're going on the first day of our honeymoon?"

Lunette was silent for a moment before she gazed up at him and said vaguely, "I have an errand to run."

He knew better than to push her, so Fred just nodded and then looked around the room again. "Who wants to go first?"

Without responding, Lunette rolled over onto her other side, wincing as her muscles tensed and tightened in defiance. As the sheet slipped from her body, Fred couldn't help but gasp, thankful that she could not hear him. Her entire back was covered in dried blood, streaks trailing all over her smooth skin and inscription, the letters appearing deeper and more gouged than usual. Why had this happened? Why had it only affected her like this? Why not him?

Lunette turned and her gaze fell on the now empty space next to Fred, her eyes widening in horror. His gaze followed hers and he saw the mass of blood on the bedsheets that had nothing to do with her virginal blood. "Why don't you go take a shower?" he suggested numbly. "I'll clean up here."

She nodded numbly and limped towards the shower. He knew that as soon as the water hit her skin, she would notice the rest of the blood caked on her back. He rolled over and reached for his wand, casting a cleaning charm on the sheets and then heaved himself out of bed, making his way to the shower as well.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked as he stepped inside.

Her gaze traveled from his teasing face to his feet, and back, making his blood warm. "Not at all," she assured him, and then handed him her washcloth. "Would you scrub my back?"

Fred nodded and took the washcloth, gulping when he saw the ribbons of blood that trailed down her legs and spilled off onto the tile. Gently, he washed the blood off, not stopping until her whole body was clean. As he gazed at her back, he was surprised to not see any puncture wounds or open sores were the massive amount of blood might have come from.

She surprised him again by taking the cloth out of his hand and grinning shyly at him. "Now it's your turn."

The twinkle in her eyes made him ask, "Are you sure?"

She smirked. "Absolutely."

And he couldn't wait.

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George was hurrying around the shop and busily straightening the displays when he noticed Lunette hobbling down the stairs to meet him. His grin widened to an almost uncontrollable smile. "Well, well, well," he drawled once he had her attention. "Fancy seeing you, you know, out of bed." He winked and tried unsuccessfully to smother a laugh.

Lunette felt herself smile as well, despite the reason she was there in the first place. "Very funny."

"I thought so."

"Look, there's a reason I'm here and not upstairs," she told him.

"Wait, let me guess. You've decided that Fred isn't enough of a man for you and you've come to beg for my assistance. Am I right?" George waggled his eyebrows teasingly to add to the absurdity of his statement.

Lunette frowned, trying to hide her smirk. "Have you been into the Daydream Charms again?"

George let out a deep laugh, leaning against the front counter as his sides heaved. "Oh!"

"Or maybe it was your laughing gas?" she ventured to guess, grinning widely.

"Undoubtedly," he wheezed with a snort.

Lunette couldn't joke with him anymore. Her errand was just too important. "George," she began softly, hoping to get his attention.

George's laughter died away as soon as he opened his eyes and caught sight of her face again. "What's wrong?" he asked, a frown beginning to form on his brow.

Lunette gazed at him very seriously before she began to tell him the reason for her visit. The expressions on his face ranged from surprise, to shock, to disbelief and horror, and then finally to understanding. He nodded and then asked, "You know I'd do anything for you. How should we do this?"

Lunette actually found humor in that question. "I would guess that you do it the same way as you always have before. Just keep your eyes closed."

George sent her a mock glare. "I know that part," he retorted. "I meant the other part."

Lunette shrugged. "I'm not really sure, but I think that if you want to give it up, it'll work. George, you do realize what you're doing, right?"

He nodded hurriedly. "Of course. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

With that, George reached out and tugged Lunette close to him, tilting her face up with gentle hands. He bent his head and captured her lips with his, and both of them felt a jolt of something…unknown shoot through their bodies. After a moment, George pulled away and released Lunette from the embrace.

They both turned just in time to see Fred standing at the bottom of the stairs.

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**A/N: No threats, no crying, don't worry, there's no cheating in this story. Please review though! lol! Hope I surprised you! ;)**


	20. Fred Weasley: Heartbroken

**A/N: I know that this chapter has taken me far, far too long to write, and for that, I sincerely apologize. College has started up recently, and I find that I do not have near enough time to devote to chapter stories, so I am going to wrap up the ones that I have, and then focus on oneshots for a while. Hopefully, you've stuck with me so far, so thank you, and enjoy the chapter!**

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_Previously:_

_Lunette gazed at him very seriously before she began to tell him the reason for her visit. The expressions on his face ranged from surprise, to shock, to disbelief and horror, and then finally to understanding. He nodded and then asked, "You know I'd do anything for you. How should we do this?"_

_Lunette actually found humor in that question. "I would guess that you do it the same way as you always have before. Just keep your eyes closed."_

_George sent her a mock glare. "I know that part," he retorted. "I meant the other part."_

_Lunette shrugged. "I'm not really sure, but I think that if you want to give it up, it'll work. George, you do realize what you're doing, right?"_

_He nodded hurriedly. "Of course. Ready?"_

_"As I'll ever be."_

_With that, George reached out and tugged Lunette close to him, tilting her face up with gentle hands. He bent his head and captured her lips with his, and both of them felt a jolt of something…unknown shoot through their bodies. After a moment, George pulled away and released Lunette from the embrace._

_They both turned just in time to see Fred standing at the bottom of the stairs._

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Fred stared at Lunette and George for a long while, wondering if he had actually seen what he thought he had seen. His _brother_ had just been kissing _his_ wife, only minutes after she had gotten out of the shower with _him_. "_What_ is going on?" he asked them, amazed that his voice could be so even and controlled at a time like this.

Obviously, they were too.

George opened and closed his mouth for a few moments, yet nothing came to mind as he gazed at his brother. Lunette, however, was less at a loss for words, so she took a step closer to Fred and away from George. "Fred, I-I can't explain this away, but I need you to trust me."

Fred's eyes focused on Lunette's face for a moment before they narrowed ever so slightly and he grimaced. "Well," he said sarcastically, "that certainly is different than the 'ol 'it's not what it looks like,' now isn't it?"

So much for staying calm.

Lunette recoiled, feeling the hurt and confusion welling up inside of her. Had she made a mistake? Was this not supposed to happen? The questions swirled around in her mind until she forcefully pushed them all away. Of course she hadn't made a mistake. She knew what she was doing, and Fred would just have to get over it.

"Lu," George murmured, noticing the look rapidly coming over her face. Lunette, however, didn't hear him, since she was not focused on his face.

Fred did, though.

"Don't call her that!" he hissed, glaring at his brother. Anger was welling up in his heart, and it was all he could do not to brandish his wand and do something drastic. Something much more than a simple Bat Bogey Hex.

"Okay," George said calmly, holding his hands up in a surrendering position. "I get it."

"No, apparently you don't," Fred answered angrily. "She's _my wife_. She's not yours, she's mine!" He turned his head to the side, focusing on Lunette once more. "And as for you, how could you?"

With that, he turned and stalked back up the stairs. Neither one followed him, and Lunette never heard the door to their bedroom slam, but she felt the vibrations, and it nearly shattered her heart.

"_He'll understand. He'll understand,"_ her mind assured her, repeating those words like a mantra.

But would he?

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It was almost two weeks later when _**it **_happened. Lunette had been curling up on the twins' magically enlarged couch, since she couldn't bear to see Fred's disgusted face each time she got ready for bed, and she had still not talked to him since that fatefully morning, when word reached her ears of the battle brewing at Hogwarts. The moment she had announced it, Fred and George had silently put the invention they were working on in its proper box and apparated with her out of the apartment.

The grounds outside of Hogwarts looked bleaker and darker than she had imagined, even poised on the edge of battle. Lunette could barely register the mass of people, all getting ready for a fight, before the Death Eaters were upon them. She lost track of Fred and George, more concerned with avoiding spells that she couldn't hear coming. "Fred!" she yelled, trying to keep track of him in the mass of flying spells, blood, and fallen bodies.

A Death Eater slammed his heavy boot into her ribs as she whirled, searching for her husband. The breath flew from her lungs and she gasped, heaving and searching for her wand before she even landed in the dirt. Her arm flew out, grabbing the very tip of the handle, and she shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" without even thinking.

He was dead before he hit the ground next to her.

Lunette trembled for a moment, staring at the man before her. She had killed one of them, one of the ones that had tortured her for so long. Shouldn't she feel better? Yes, yes she should, and she did. She got to her feet, just in time to send a curse flying towards another Death Eater that had aimed his wand at another Gryffindor. "Fred!" she called again, desperately whirling around in the hopes that she would find him. Something was going to happen today, and she needed to protect him.

Flashes of light, both green and red, clashed around her, and Lunette struggled to adjust to the commotion. Where was Fred?

At that moment, a strong tug made Lunette look up, her eyes locking for a moment with George's before pain ripped through her chest, stabbing through her heart and knocking her to the ground.

As she fell, all Lunette could think about was wanting to see Fred, just one last time….

And then everything went black.

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**A/N: It's short, yes, but it will help me transition into the last chapter. Yes, that's right, the last chapter. There might be an epilogue after that, we'll see, but the story is coming to a close. :( So even though I don't deserve it, please review so that I know what you're thinking!**


	21. Love Edures All

**A/N: There are not enough words in the English language to use to apologize for not writing this last chapter sooner. The only thing I can say in my defense is that I started college and I have been so swamped since the last time I updated. For those of you that have stuck with me, and have not lost hope, I hope that this last chapter can, in some way, make up for the neglect. :P**

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The battle was over, and in its place stood a barren wasteland filled only with dead bodies from both sides. Voldemort was gone and Harry was alright, but there were so many loved ones gone, so many lives lost. And for what? A broken society that would now have to pick up the pieces of the lives they had thought safe for so long?

Fred stared out at the scene, watching as the smoke and haze began to clear, and the victorious wizards and witches began to emerge. His eyes strained to find his brother. Where was George? No animosity between them could keep them apart for long…but wait, where was Lunette?

He looked to his right. Nothing.

He looked to his left. Nothing.

He twisted around and scanned the length of the field behind him. Nothing but Hogwarts stared back at him.

Fear gripped Fred's heart, squeezing so hard that he thought for a moment that he would be sick. He hadn't thought about Lunette's curse since their wedding night, more focused on the gaping hole she had taken out of his heart; the same heart that was now pounding when he realized that this was possibly, and most likely, the fourth time the Lunette had been put in danger. "Harry!" he yelled, panicked.

A hooded figure to his left turned around and pushed the hood off his face, and then the Boy-Who-Lived was at Fred's side, having apparated the distance instead of running. "What's wrong?" he asked, pushing his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose unconsciously.

"I can't find George," Fred said anxiously. It wasn't like his twin not to come find him after something like this. Unless he had been hexed again and he was off bleeding to death somewhere…. "And Lunette's missing too," Fred added, not even allowing his mind to wander to what might have happened to his wife.

"We'll look for them," Harry promised. "They're probably around on the other side of the school." The reassuring tone that he was looking for was sufficiently lacking, though, and he tried to smile at Fred, but that didn't really help either.

At that moment, both young men heard Ginny's scream, a terrified, high-pitched cry of one in anguish. "_No! George! Lunette! Please wake up!"_

Fred's blood chilled and his body automatically twisted to the side, sprinting towards his sister and the place where she lay bent over two familiar figures that lay crumpled in the dirt. Lunette appeared to have collapsed on top of George, because he had one arm around her, probably trying to futilely brace them when they fell. Ginny turned her face towards him, and Fred could see the tears making wet tracks down the dirt on his sister's face.

He couldn't help it. He really couldn't.

He collapsed next to both bodies, pulling George into one shoulder and Lunette into the other. The tears came freely, easily, as he bent his head and buried it into both heads of auburn hair. "No, no, no, no!" he gasped.

Ginny joined in, and Harry, who had followed them closely, collapsed next to her to take her in his arms. She gasped, her chest heaving in deep, broken sobs, but as she reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes again, the tiniest movement caught Ginny's eye. Lunette's chest was moving, just barely. For a moment, Ginny just blinked, wondering if she had imagined the movement because she wanted it to be there that much, but then she saw another, tiny, labored movement, and she screamed.

"Gin-" Harry tried to sooth, but Ginny pushed him away.

Ginny stared at George for a moment before she saw the same movement, and then yelped again. "Fred, we've got to get them to St Mungo's now!"

Fred bit his lip and tried to keep himself together enough to explain things to his sister. "Gin, I'm sorry, but nothing's going to bring them back." His voice cracked, and Ginny saw his fingers tighten against both of the bodies in his arms.

"No!" she cried, and then pointed. "They're breathing!"

It took only a moment for Fred to lock his attention onto the labored rise and fall of his twin's chest, and the, without a word, all three of them were gone, apparating to St Mungo's while Ginny held Harry tightly and renewed her crying, this time out of relief.

* * *

The heap that Fred, George, and Lunette collapsed into was not graceful, nor was it comfortable on Fred, but he couldn't care less as he gained the attention of a mediwitch, who quickly levitated both bodies to beds and began calling for any available nurses to begin running diagnostic spells on the pair. "Please-" he choked out, not sure what exactly he was begging for, or if anyone actually heard him.

"We'll do all we can," a mediwitch assured him, just before she ushered him from the room.

He spent the next four hours pacing the lobby of St Mungo's, ignoring the rest of his tired family and half of the battered wizarding world as he moved up and back, up and back, up and-

"Sit down, or I'll sit _on_ you," Ginny finally growled, emphasizing what everyone else in the company was thinking. "You're driving us insane."

Fred looked at her for the first time in hours, blinking as he processed her command. "Oh, sorry," he mumbled, mechanically sitting down in the empty chair next to his mother. Immediately after the loss of his legs, Fred began to worry his hands, cracking his knuckles and wrists.

She slapped him. Hard.

"Ow!" Fred cried, rubbing his arm and staring at his mother in surprise. "What?"

"Stop it," she commanded, and it was only after Fred heard the worry in her voice that he realized that everyone there in the room was just as worried as he was. Or at least they thought they were.

George was his twin, the one person that had been there through everything with him. George was the one person that he had always been able to trust, at least until Lunette had come along. And Lunette…his heart gave a jump as her name flashed through his thoughts. No matter what had happened, he knew that he still loved her. He loved her, and she was dying in that room, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Tears stung his eyes, pricking his tear ducts and welling up before they slid over his lids and tumbled down his cheeks as he silently grieved for the wife and brother he just might lose. Right now, he would do anything to save them. He would pay and suffer anything just to see them better.

He would even let them be together, if that's what they wanted. He just wanted them both to live.

His hands trembled as his thoughts flew from one extreme to the other, and it was only when a mediwitch called his name that he realized that her voice seemed low, and very far away. Brushing it off, Fred shot to his feet and crossed the room in three long strides, his family right behind him. "Yes?" he asked eagerly.

The mediwitch sighed tiredly. "They're both doing better, Mr. Weasley. We've run quite a few tests, and we can't figure out why they're not waking up, but we've given them replenishing potions and we'll be watching over them for as long as it takes. You're welcome to go in, but only one person at a time."

Fred had a difficult time staying calm as he hastened towards the room, but then a thought hit him and he whirled around abruptly. "Wait, were there any gashes over her back?"

The mediwtich frowned. "Mrs. Weasley's?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah. Like, over the markings on her back."

The mediwitch stared at him, uncomprehending. "What markings?"

Was she stupid? Fred frowned as well. "You know," he prodded, "they look like tattoos?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry Mr. Weasley, but your wife's back has no markings on it."

He didn't understand. He wasn't sure how this was possible. Without waiting for the situation to become even more confusing, Fred pushed past the mediwitch and hurried toward the room where Lunette and George were being held. He skidded to a stop right before entering the room, not wanted to get thrown out before he even had a chance to see his family.

He saw Lunette first, her hair splayed out over the pillow, her pale skin even paler than he remembered, and various cuts over her face, which were being magically healed. He strode to her side, pressing one hand gently against her face as he felt the tears starting to come again. He bent down and pressed a desperate kiss to her lips, and whispered, "Oh Lu, please wake up."

The mediwitch across from Lunette graciously backed away to give Fred a moment alone with his wife, and his curiosity got the best of him as he gently rolled Lunette over, lifting her shirt enough to see the space between her shoulder blades where her script was.

Except it wasn't there.

Fred stared in dumbfounded awe as he gazed at his wife's clear, pale back. "No way," he whispered to himself.

He settled Lunette back into bed automatically, and crossed to his brother's bed in a daze. George was lying just as still and pale, and Fred took George's hand in his own. "Please Georgie, you've got to wake up for me. Wake up for me and Lunette."

"Fred?"

The voice was so small and so raspy that Fred almost missed it. As it was, he spun around, and his heart stopped when he saw Lunette lying there, her eyes half open as she struggled against the potions bestowed upon her. "Lunette!" he gasped, and flew to her side, taking her face in his hands, pressing dozens of soft kisses all over her face. "Oh Lu," he whispered against the soft skin on her face.

"Fred, _Fred_," she gasped, struggling against the aches in her body to lift her arms around his neck. She groaned as she did so, feeling a jolt of pain through her shoulder blades, and then nothing. "Oh _Fred_!" she whispered against his ear, pressing her lips sloppily against his cheek as she struggled to gain control over her body. "I'm so sorry, Fred. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. _Please._"

Fred pulled away from her and shook his head, cupping her chin in his hands. "Don't say that. Don't even think about that. I-I love you, and if you want to-to be with George, then-"

"No!" she screamed, startling him as she gripped his arms tightly and drew the attention of a nearby mediwitch, who gaped when she saw that the young Mrs. Weasley was awake, and already being upset by her husband.

"Mr. Weasley-" she began, but Lunette was the one that cut her off with a violent shake of her head.

"No! Please! I have to explain! I have to ex-" Lunette cried, thrashing around.

_She's panicking!_ Fred grabbed his wife by her shoulders, trying to hold her down and stop her from hurting herself. "Lu! Lu! Stop it! Please!" She couldn't understand because she wasn't looking at him, but he pressed down on her shoulders, and tried anyways. "Look at me! I'll let you explain anything you want!"

She stilled, having caught the last part of her sentence. "Wh-what?" she gasped out.

"I'll let you explain whatever you want," Fred told her again. "But please, you must relax. We still don't know what's wrong with you."

"What's all the commotion about?" another voice asked groggily. "Can't a guy get some sleep around here?"

The mediwitch didn't know whether to help Fred hold down his wife, or rush to Mr. George Weasley's side. Fred didn't release his hold on Lunette, but his worry lines decreased dramatically and relief washed over his face. "Georgie!" he cried.

"Hey Freddie," George said softly, and Fred grimaced when he heard the same weak, raspy tone in George's voice that he had heard in Lunette's before she had started screaming.

Lunette, having calmed down enough that she could speak with only the slight shaking of her voice, turned her head toward the mediwitch and asked, "Could you please let our family know that we're alright, and give us a minute alone?"

Reluctantly, the mediwitch left them alone and closed the door to the room.

Fred allowed himself to be tugged onto Lunette's bed and flinched slightly when George groaned, attempting to pull himself up onto his side so that he could face them. "Alright," Fred said softly when the room was clear except for them. "Tell me everything."

Lunette glanced briefly at George, who weakly nodded, telling her that she had the strength to do this. "On our wedding night," she began, believing that it was best to start from the beginning, "do you remember what happened?"

How could he forget? The images of Lunette, writhing beneath him in pain would forever be etched on his memory. And then, when she had frozen and her eyes had glazed over, he had thought that the fourth part of the curse was taking over. He had thought that he had lost her for a moment, and that was something he would never forget.

Fred nodded, momentarily overwhelmed by the images from the past.

"Well, during that night, when I felt like I couldn't move, a lot of visions hit me all at once. I saw what the fourth accident at the Battle of Hogwarts, and I watched this wall collapse and fall on you." Lunette's breath caught for a moment. "Fred, you-it was so scary, seeing you covered in blood, and knowing before I could reach you that you would be dead." She choked, tears rushing to her eyes as she reached for Fred's hand.

"She also saw a way out," George said, picking up the story while Lunette collected herself. She saw that the curse had a flaw in it." He grinned. "Her Soulbinder has a twin, yours amazingly truly." He winked at his twin, which caused Fred to laugh. There was the George he knew and loved. "Lunette saw that she and I could momentarily bind together and share our life forces, and when the time came that you were injured, we could help you out."

"The bond worked like an exchange," Lunette explained. "Voldemort wanted me to die for the person I loved the most, but he never thought that I would love someone with a twin. George and I gave half of our life forces to each other with our kiss," here she blushed, "and so when that wall was going to collapse on you, it missed because the curse took both of our halves to make up for you. If Goerge hadn't have helped me, the curse would have taken my life completely."

"But not even wizarding folks can't stay conscious with only half of a life force, though, so we blacked out until our forces could build up enough again," George added, trying to be modest. He grimaced and said, "I'm really sorry that we caused you that much pain, Freddie, but Lunette was convinced it was the only way, and I believe her with all my heart. Neither one of us could bear to lose you."

Fred sat there for a moment, processing all of the information that had just been explained to him. However, one small piece of information kept standing out over and over again. _Lunette and George don't love each other. They don't want to be together. She wants to be with me!_

He leaned forward and gently captured Lunette's lips in a gentle kiss. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," she responded.

"What about me?" George growled playfully, not waiting for Fred to make his way around to his bed. "I did half the work!"

Fred launched himself onto George's bed, not being nearly as gentle as he pulled his brother into a fierce hug. "I love you too," he said, squeezing hard. He drew back, gazing at them both, and said, "Thank you, both of you. I'm sorry I was mad. You're the best brother and wife a guy could ask for."

A mediwitch breezed into the room, disregarding their previous request to leave them alone, and quelling any protests that George and Lunette might have voiced when she said, "Well, it seems that as soon as you can walk, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, you can leave. As for you," she added, looking pointedly at Fred, "we should check you out as well while you're here."

Not taking 'no' for an answer, the mediwitch _accio'd_ another bed and proceeded to check Fred out as well. Lunette sank back into her covers, watching delightedly as her husband periodically would wink at her when the mediwitch's back was turned or she was occupied with another diagnostic spell. They were back to the way they used to be, and she couldn't be more grateful.

"You seem to have lost some hearing, Mr. Weasley," the mediwitch told him, peering into his ears again.

"It's probably from the explosion," Fred told her, remembering the wall that had collapsed, and shivering slightly at the thought that he had come so close to death.

The mediwitch shrugged, obviously in a hurry to get back to other people in the wing. "Other than that, you seem fine. You're all welcome to leave as soon as you feel up to it."

That was an obvious hint, and Fred assisted both Lunette and George in dressing and gaining their motor skills again before leading them out of the room another hour later, into the waiting arms of half of Harry's army. Everyone was crying, laughing, crying some more, and generally taking over each other. Fred looped his arms around Lunette's waist, resting his chin contentedly on the top of her head, grinning as everyone momentarily forgot the war that had just gone on.

It was Mrs. Weasley who finally broke up the gathering, chiding Fred and George that they had better get home and get some rest. "And you too, dear," she added, pointing to Lunette and giving her an affectionate squeeze. Lunette held her breath, waiting for the pain, waiting for some indication that her body still felt the effects of the curse, but nothing happened.

She grinned.

* * *

As they apparated back to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Lunette couldn't help but feel the tears beginning to form. The last time she had seen this dear old place this morning, it had been fraught with tension, but now, as George kissed her on her forehead and said goodnight to both her and Fred, there was only love and tenderness in this flat. She smiled with relief and let Fred lead her back to their bed, which they hadn't shared since the incident with George.

"I love you," Fred told her, holding her tightly in his arms once the door had been shut and they were ready for bed.

"I love you too," she whispered, seeing the love on his face so clearly that she could almost imagine that she could hear him.

Fred pulled her even closer, pressing his lips to hers and closing his eyes with a sigh. She was back, and she was his. And as her lips molded with his and she allowed him to deepen the kiss a little, Fred knew without a doubt that he was one of the luckiest men in the world. His hands caressed her silky hair as his lips pressed kisses to the side of her throat and her collar bone, but he pulled away when he felt her hands tugging at his belt.

"Not tonight, love," he whispered, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Lunette said, pouting slightly.

"You just got out of the hospital, and the war only ended today," he replied, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"And _both_ of those are wonderful reasons why we should celebrate," Lunette argued teasingly. When she saw Fred hesitating, he pressed her hand gently against his cheek and whispered, "I'm not in any pain, Fred, and I want to spend the night with my husband." With a smile, she added, "Show me what it's like to love you without pain."

And with that, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bed.

* * *

He could lie there for the rest of his life and watch her, and he would die a happy man.

Fred grinned as he watched Lunette begin to stir, stretching in the most delicious way, since the covers slid down a little too far as she raised her arms above her head. He certainly wasn't complaining, though, and Lunette could only blush and laugh when she realized what had so eagerly captured his attention. She rolled over and gave him a long, deep 'good morning' kiss before throwing back the covers unabashedly, grabbing her robe, and striding towards the shower.

"Merlin, woman, I love you," Fred whispered to her back, and was surprised when Lunette froze mid-step.

She turned around slowly, her eyes wide with surprise as she asked, "What did you say?"

"Um, well…I said, 'Merlin, woman, I love you,'" Fred said, the tips of his ears blushing as he gazed at his wife. Even wrapped in a robe, she was beautiful.

However, she had the most peculiar look on her face, like she couldn't quite believe what he had just said. "I know," she finally managed, speaking so softly that Fred almost missed it. "I-I heard you."

Fred was floored. "What?"

Lunette, however, looked both floored and gleeful as she nearly jumped on him and threw her arms around him. "Fred! I can hear you!" She was shaking, and it took a moment for Fred to realize that she was crying, before he started to tear up himself.

"You can hear me?" he asked, holding her tightly to his chest. Without looking up from her position on his shoulder, Lunette nodded, and Fred let out a relieved sob of utter, joyful disbelief. "How on earth did this happen?" he asked gleefully, pushing her back to arm's length so that he could see her delighted face.

"I don't know!" she cried happily. "Is it possible that the curse worked both ways?"

"So, when I offered to let you be with George, I sacrificed myself just like you had done for me?" Fred said, thinking aloud.

"And because of the bond we shared, I gained some of your hearing," Lunette added thoughtfully.

"So it wasn't the explosion of the wall, it was for something even better!" Fred concluded, pulling her tightly to him. "But why didn't you say anything last night?"

Lunette shrugged. "I guess it can on gradually. I couldn't hear anything at the hospital, but I could almost swear that I heard you tell me last night that you loved me, and then everything hit me this morning."

Fred hugged her once more, tightly. "Oh, this is wonderful!" he shouted, and Lunette giggled, excited to finally hear his voice. "We've got to tell George! And the family! And the rest of the world!" he shouted, reaching out to grab his pants. "This is tremendous!"

With a laugh, Lunette followed him out of their room, feeling her heart swell as she heard the sound of her husband running down the stairs, yelling for his brother.

Fred. Her darling, dearest Fred.

Her one and only love.

Her Soulbinder.

And as she stepped into the equally excited and amazing embrace of George, Lunette could only conclude one thing about the man who had initially cast the curse on her, those long years ago:

Voldemort had not been a firm believer in the idea that love can conquer anything.

* * *

**A/N: I've been steadily adding to this chapter, and I hope that it explained everything for you guys. Thank you for this adventure, I'm sorry this story has taken so long. You guys all mean the world to me, though, so thank you for sticking with me. **

**Much love until next time I get a chance to breathe, **

**Brooke**


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